


Gay Thoughts and Coffee Shops

by nataliea_stories



Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: A little angst but not too much, Fantasy AU, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Magic, Mostly Fluff, Sympathetic Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders, Sympathetic Deceit Sanders, coffee shop AU, incomplete & on indefinite hiatus sorry, modern fey, modern witches, oh my god they were roommates
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-14
Updated: 2020-11-06
Packaged: 2021-03-02 19:41:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 19
Words: 21,550
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24182269
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nataliea_stories/pseuds/nataliea_stories
Summary: Virgil Storm is a perfectly ordinary teenager living a perfectly normal life. Well, except for one thing: he's also a witch running a potion business. When he runs into one "Roman King" through said business, his life, as well as his roommate Patton's, get turned on their heads... in a good way, of course. Turns out Roman and his cousin Logan are fey. Who'd have thought that these hopeless gays could make it through the struggles life presents?
Relationships: Anxiety | Virgil Sanders/Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders, Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders/Deceit Sanders, Dr. Emile Picani/Sleep | Remy Sanders, Logic | Logan Sanders/Morality | Patton Sanders
Comments: 90
Kudos: 208





	1. I

"Virgil, I'm home!"

Patton looked around the house, searching for signs of life. The front door slam shut behind him, throwing him into total darkness. Rather than walking over to the light switch, Patton pulled a pencil from his work bag, muttering under his breath. The pencil turned into a wand and he lit the tip, illuminating the dark entryway of his house.

"I'm upstairs. Come on up, but don't turn the lights on," Patton's roommate called from the second floor. Patton smiled to himself, walking up the stairs with his wand held in front of him. Upstairs, it was almost entirely dark, except for a small glow coming from Virgil's room. Patton leaned against the doorway, watching his roommate and childhood best friend.

"Hey, kiddo," he said tiredly, pushing his blond hair out of his eyes. Virgil barely looked up.

"Hey, Pat. How was work?"

"The usual. I met with a new patient today. A girl about your age. She kinda reminded me of you, actually." Patton paused, taking a moment to properly look at Virgil. He smiled, holding back a laugh. Virgil was dressed in black ripped jeans and a black My Chemical Romance shirt with a purple patchwork sweater open overtop. He wore a black witch's hat over his purple hair, and from under the hat, Patton could see his headphones sticking out. His black-gloved hands were waving in small circles over an old fashioned cauldron, stirring the contents with magic. The cauldron glowed a dim gold, casting shadows on Virgil's face. Virgil caught Patton staring and cracked a smile.

"I haven't made anything for dinner yet. I was thinking we could order something," Virgil suggested, lowering his arms and taking his gloves off. Patton turned on the lights in the room, knowing that Virgil preferred the darkness when he was making potions, but once he was done he was fine with light. Virgil took off the witch's hat and his headphones, laying them on his dresser.

"I will never get how you manage to make the hat stay on top of the headphones," Patton mused. "But sure, takeout sounds fine."

"Great. You choose something, I'll pay."

"Alright." Patton lingered in the doorway a moment longer. Virgil was putting the potion into bottles. Some were glass, some were plastic water bottles and some looked like thermoses for coffee. The gold liquid smelled faintly of peaches. "What's the new potion?"

"Some fey kid at school wanted an anti-writer's block potion. An acquaintance has been passing messages between us and they said he wanted to get it before the weekend," Virgil explained, emptying out any remnants of the potion from his cauldron and readying it for washing.

"Have you met him in person yet?"

Virgil hesitated. "No, not yet."

"Virge. . ." Patton was always hesitant about Virgil offering his services to people he hadn't met face-to-face. While the days of witch-hunting and burning them at the stake were long gone, the world was still dangerous for people like them. Some humans wanted to abuse their powers, there were fey jealous of them and even other witches who didn't believe that they should be selling the products of their powers.

"It'll be fine, Pat. We're meeting in the store. If he tries to kidnap or attack me, everyone there will see."

"Well, alright," Patton agreed after a moment's consideration. "But be safe. You're the only family I've got."

Virgil smiled. "You're the best, padre."

"Love ya, kiddo."

__

"Logan? Are you here?" Roman called out, slamming the front door to their shared house behind him. His colourful wings flapped nervously behind him, despite his halfhearted attempts at keeping them still.

"In the study," Logan called back, his voice somewhat muffled. Roman took off his shoes, dropped his bag on the floor and headed over to greet his roommate.

"What's up, nerd?" Roman asked, leaning against the doorframe. Logan glanced over, the ghost of a smile on his face.

"Just science. How was your day?" Logan's smile turned to concern when Roman sighed, walked in and slumped down on a chair.

"Maybe you're right about me. Maybe this was a bad idea."

"Roman, even though I may not approve of your current profession, that does not mean you should give it up. I know that you enjoy your wing-reading sessions, and you may actually have a gift for fortune-telling, although it is incredibly rare. If this is what you want, don't give it up just because I don't like the idea," Logan explained, trying and failing to catch Roman's gaze.

"It's not just you getting in my head. It's me getting in my head. I'm not sure if this is what I want anymore. Wing-reading just might not be it for me. What if this isn't what I'm meant for? What if this is just me trying to find somewhere else to prove myself, and I'm failing again?" Roman sighed, leaning back in the chair. "I'm sorry for venting, it's just everything piling up all at once and-"

"No need to apologize, Roman," Logan interrupted. "You're still in high school. You've got your entire life ahead of you. You don't need to figure out what to do with all those years right now. Focus on what you enjoy, and you'll figure it out."

Roman glanced up with a small smile. He took a deep breath to refocus himself before saying "Thanks, Lo. You're the best."

"I know," Logan smirked, turning back to his computer. Roman got up and walked toward the door, only to be stopped by the sound of Logan's voice.

"What about writing?"

"What about it?" Roman asked, confused.

"You've been writing for as long as I can remember. Have you ever considered a serious career as an author?" Logan suggested, still staring at his laptop.

"You know that the odds of success as a writer are super slim," Roman tried to reason. "There's no way I could actually do that."

Logan spun around in his chair and stared Roman in the eyes. "Our kind can do whatever we put our minds to."


	2. II

Roman woke up to a loud beeping noise, causing him to groan in annoyance. "Five more minutes," he mumbled to his alarm clock, waving a hand in the air. Sparks flew from his fingers and time quickly came to a stop, giving Roman as long as he needed to properly wake up.

What would have been an hour later, had time been working, Roman was up and running around the house. Logan sat at their shared kitchen table, sipping from his coffee mug and reading the newspaper. Despite it being early in the morning, he was already dressed in his usual deep blue shirt and black tie for work. His blue and black wings were still out since he wasn't headed to work just yet. Just before Roman left for school, Logan would cast a spell on both of them to keep their wings hidden, at least for a while. Roman could cast the spell himself, but Logan did a better job and was more experienced, so Roman just let him do it instead.

"Good morning, Roman," Logan said, barely glancing up as Roman sprinted into the kitchen and grabbed a banana. "Did you freeze time again this morning?"

"Yeah," Roman replied, rummaging through the fridge.

"So that's why I felt weird when waking up," Logan mused, adjusting his glasses.

"Sorry 'bout that," Roman mumbled, getting himself a bowl of cereal.

"Any plans for today?" Logan asked, folding up the newspaper and placing it on the table in front of him. He summoned a croissant and bit into it, waiting for Roman to join him at the table.

"I'm meeting up with some witch from school at a local coffee shop. He's making me an anti-writer's block potion," Roman explained, shovelling food into his mouth.

"Make sure to test it for poison before taking it," Logan warned. "I hate to be suspicious of any other magical beings in our neighbourhood, but you can never be too safe."

"What're you doing at work today?" Roman asked, turning the conversation around.

"Experimenting with a new virus. I can't say too much, but it should give us a chance to fix the Earth a bit." Logan was a scientist working for a fey-run company that was trying to combat global warming. Humans and witches worked in the company too, but his department was solely fey. Still, he hid his wings just in case.

"What, are you going to poison the planet? Survival of the fittest and all that? Get everyone locked inside so you can detoxify the oceans?" Roman joked, peeling his banana.

"Something like that, yes," Logan answered seriously. Roman stared at him wide-eyed.

"Wait, seriously?" Logan nodded. "Dude. . . that's harsh."

"It is what needs to be done," Logan said, standing up. "You should hurry or you'll be late. If you freeze time again, I'll make sure you're one of the first infected with the disease."

"What is it you have against me messing with time?"

"It gives me a headache. Now, get going."


	3. III

"Bye Pat, have a nice day!" Virgil called, opening the front door.

"Bye kiddo! Don't kill anyone!" Patton replied from upstairs. He was still preparing for work, running behind a little more than usual.

"No promises," Virgil warned before leaving. He'd prefer to teleport to school, but there was always the chance of someone seeing him appear out of thin air, so he only did that when he was running really late. Virgil pulled his headphones up over his ears, turning on some Fall Out Boy. He really leaned into the emo stereotype. It kept people from approaching him, plus the music and fashion were great.

Virgil's high school wasn't too far away. It was a ten-minute walk on a good day, and the coffee shop where he worked was another three minutes from there. Speaking of which, he had to head over there after his afternoon classes to work a shift and meet up with the fey who'd contacted him for the potion. . .

Since it was risky to publicly advertise magic-using services, Virgil had gotten himself a job at a local magic cafe. Witches and fey hung out there all the time, ordering lattes with a shot of charisma or water with lemon and confidence. The building was completely invisible to humans, making it the perfect place to subtly advertise his potions. Besides slipping magic into drinks, Virgil sold proper potions to any magical being who was willing to pay.

Virgil adjusted his black gloves, pulling them on a little tighter. Most people who noticed them just thought he was a germaphobe. Truth was, Virgil had enchanted the gloves the way wands were enchanted, making it so that he could use them instead of waving around a stick like most witches. The fact that he didn't actually have to touch anyone was an added bonus.

Virgil arrived at school, heading directly to his locker. Despite being a quiet recluse most of the time, he actually had a couple of friends. One of them, Remy, came running toward him.

"Hey bitch," Remy smiled, tackling Virgil with a tight hug. Virgil pushed him off halfheartedly.

"Good morning to you too, Remy," Virgil said. Remy was a fellow witch, but he preferred spells over potions. He was also much more extroverted and loud than Virgil, but he didn't mind. Having loud friends just meant he didn't have to do the talking himself.

"How'd the new potion go?" Remy asked as Virgil opened his locker, pulling a couple of things out.

Virgil's eyes lit up as he began talking. "It's not really a new potion, just a variation on the recipe. It also changes the flavour, which is really great for people who are tired of the regular one. It's still a fairly basic recipe and it doesn't take long to make, and it doesn't change the overall effect. But, uh, to answer your question, it went well."

"I didn't ask for an essay," Remy grumbled under his breath, but he was smiling all the same. Though he acted like a bitch toward everyone, he liked hearing Virgil talk passionately about something for a change. "So you're meeting up at the coffee shop after school?" Virgil nodded.

"Want to come? I might be able to get you something for free," Virgil smirked. Remy's eyes lit up.

"Free coffee? Hell yeah. I'll be there by three," he smiled. The bell rang and the two ran off in opposite directions after a quick goodbye.

___

Roman barely made it to school on time, even after running halfway there. He'd have flown, but he didn't have the time or patience to cast an invisibility spell. Besides, they were finicky and he could have gotten stuck invisible for much longer than he wanted to.

Rushing into the building, Roman nearly knocked over someone standing in front of his locker.

"Oh my gosh, are you okay?" He asked, helping the person to steady themself. They turned to face him with a smile and he relaxed. "Oh, it's just you. Hey, Mal," he smiled.

"What, it only matters if someone other than me gets knocked over? You don't care about my wellbeing?" Mal teased, smiling.

"No, no, I'm just glad I didn't knock over some stranger who would hate me for it."

"What's to say I don't hate you for it?"

Roman gave Mal a look and they both started laughing. They'd put up with him years already; if they hated people for knocking them over, their friendship would have long since ended.

"It's good to see you, Mal."

"You too, Ro."

Mal stayed with Roman as he got his things for class, chatting with him about his plans after school. They were the one who had told him about the witch who was selling potions. Mal, unlike Roman, was a witch and was unable to stop time. Unfortunately, they also were very busy and constantly tired. They'd found someone who made a potion that could give them the energy they needed to get through the day. They mixed it with a drink in the morning and it combatted their constant exhaustion, making them a much more productive person. When Roman had mentioned his writer's block, they'd immediately gotten him in touch with the witch.

"Should I come along with you after school?" They asked, leaning against the locker next to Roman's.

"If you want," Roman said. "It'd be nice to have some company."

"Alright, then. Meet me by the library after school and we can walk there together," Mal said with a smile.

"Okay. I should go now, the bell's about to ring," Roman said, giving them a quick hug and running off to class.


	4. IV

The day passed by slowly. Virgil managed to get out of his last class a few minutes early and decided to head to the coffee shop right away since Remy was always late. He started to walk alone down the nearly deserted streets. He had his work outfit stuffed in his bag and would have to change once he made it there. Scrolling through his phone, he found a text from Mal, a witch who paid him for potions very often. He opened the message, reading through it as he walked.

**MAL: Hey. I'm coming by with the friend I told you about at three-ish. Is that okay?**

**VIRGIL: Yeah sure. I'll be there.**

**MAL: Ok**

**MAL: Just as a warning, he is very very gay. Beware.**

**VIRGIL: Got it.**

Virgil pocketed his phone as he reached the front door of the coffee shop, Sprinkles of Joy. Remy often laughed about the fact that Virgil worked at such a happy sounding place, but Virgil was perfectly fine with working there despite the name as long as they let him sell his potions. The door opened, the bells attached to it letting out a soft jingle. The person behind the counter looked up from their phone and smiled at Virgil. He smiled back half-heartedly, heading for the back room to get changed before his shift started. He dropped his bag on a chair, casting a spell on it to keep anyone other than him from opening it. He grabbed a black t-shirt from his bag with the store name on it and headed into the washroom to change.

When Virgil walked back around the front, Remy was sitting in the corner table, staring at his phone. Virgil smiled and quickly made him a drink before walking over and sliding into the chair across from him.

"You came," he said with a grin. Remy looked up, surprised, but his face quickly morphed back to its usual bitchy expression.

"Yeah, well, you said there'd be free coffee, so. . ." his voice trailed off and he grabbed the drink in front of Virgil.

"I can't stay at the table for long since the manager is coming in any minute now," Virgil said. "Keep an eye out for Mal, okay?"

"Who's Mal?"

"I know for a fact I've introduced you to them before."

Remy thought for a moment. "Average height, short-ish spiky brown hair, one ear pierced?"

"Exactly. When they get here, tell them where I am, alright?"

"Fine, whatever," Remy said, waving Virgil off. He got up and walked back over to the counter. "Thanks for the coffee!" Virgil smiled, knowing fully well that Remy couldn't see it. He dropped a couple of dollars in the cash register to pay for the coffee he'd given Remy and went back to work.

Virgil focused on making drinks for the next little while. He was just thinking about how they needed more charm-inducing croissants in the store when he heard Remy's voice.

"You're Remy, right? I'm Mal."

"Ah, so you're her."

"Actually, I'm _them_."

"Right, sorry," Remy apologized quickly, his eyes widening as he realized his mistake. "Just a little slip-up. Won't happen again." He then raised his voice, calling over to Virgil. "Virge! Your friend's here!"

Virgil took a quick look around to make sure no one was approaching the counter before rushing over to his friends. He smiled, giving Mal a quick hug. "Hey, how are you?" He asked.

"I'm good. This is Roman, the friend I told you about," Mal said, gesturing to a person behind them that Virgil hadn't even noticed. He smiled and waved at Virgil, a sweet, unassuming gesture that nearly made Virgil faint.

"You didn't mention that he's hot!" Virgil hissed through his teeth. Remy hid a laugh and Mal smirked.

"He's also single. . ." Mal teased quietly, making Virgil blush lightly.

"What're you all talking about without me?" Roman asked, walking over and leaning an arm on Mal's shoulder. Virgil took a second to properly look at him. He was taller than Virgil by a few inches, with lightly tanned skin, bright red eyes and messy brown hair. He fiddled with two bracelets on his arm, one black and one red. He had an easy smile and at first glance seemed to give off generally good vibes. He noticed Virgil staring and winked.

"I take it you're Virgil, then," he smiled, reaching out a hand to shake. "Pleasure to meet you."

"You too," Virgil replied, taking Roman's hand in his own gloved one. "You must be the one who wanted the anti-writer's block potion?"

"Yeah, I am. You've got to come up with a better name for that, by the way. It's a serious mouthful."

"I'll go get your potion from the back, then," Virgil said, quickly excusing himself from the conversation. He rushed to the back room, unzipping his bag and pulling out a potion in a traditional glass bottle. He uncorked it, checking that nothing had happened to it. It still smelled of peaches. He waved a gloved hand over it and nothing happened, meaning it hadn't been tampered with. Satisfied, he recorked the bottle and headed back around the front.

Mal was sitting in the chair opposite Remy, chatting about something, but Roman wasn't with them. Virgil approached the two, cautious about interrupting their conversation, but Remy noticed him before he got a chance to say anything.

"Pretty boy's up by the counter. I think he wants a drink while he's here," Remy said, turning back to his conversation with Mal. Virgil nodded, then felt stupid because they weren't even paying attention. He walked back behind the counter and approached Roman.

"Anything you'd like to try?" Virgil asked, leaning his elbows on the table and resting his head against his hands. Roman looked over at him, startled.

"I don't know. Anything you'd recommend?" Virgil pondered the question for a moment, setting the potion bottle down on the counter between them.

"You seem like the type of person who'd enjoy an Angel Mocha," he decided after a moment.

"Does everything here have such tasteful names?" Roman asked, smiling slightly.

"If by 'tasteful' you mean sickeningly sweet, yes. Yes, they do. The place is called _Sprinkles of Joy_ , for hell's sake. Everything here is sweet."

"Even you?" Roman teased, causing Virgil to blush and look away. He laughed. "Sorry. Couldn't help myself." He opened his mouth to say something else, but at that moment two brightly coloured wings popped into existence. He glanced over his shoulder, surprised.

"Spell wore off?" Virgil guessed. Roman nodded.

"My roommate did the spell this morning. I'm surprised it lasted as long as it did."

"Nice colours, by the way. Is that natural?" Virgil asked, admiring his pink, yellow and blue wings.

"Nah. They're naturally fire-coloured. Red, orange and yellow. I got them dyed for a pride parade and haven't switched them back since," Roman said, flapping his wings in a showy way. He turned back to Virgil, a smile on his face. "So, about that drink. . ."

"Right. What'd you like?"

"I think I'll try that angel mocha you mentioned."

"Anything special in the drink?"

"Um, could you possibly mix in something that'll make my wings disappear again? But only for a while?" Roman asked, blushing slightly from embarrassment. Virgil nodded.

"It'll take a little while, though. Why don't you go sit down? And take this potion with you," He suggested, offering one last smile before turning away. "You can pay for that when you pay for the drink."

Virgil quickly got the drink ready, mixing a small batch of an invisibility potion and altering it so that it would only affect the wings. Contrary to popular belief, he didn't need things like spider eyes or toad toes to make potions. It was mostly a mixture of exotic berries, household ingredients and magic, specifically spells of all sorts. The drink was ready sooner than he'd thought it would be. Virgil scribbled something on the cup before pouring the hot liquid into it. Instead of yelling out Roman's name like he would with most customers, he walked over to the table where Roman was sitting with Mal and Remy.

"Here you go," he said, placing the drink on the table. Roman picked it up and took a sip, his eyes immediately lighting up.

"You were right, this _is_ good!" Roman exclaimed, smiling at Virgil. He got up, picking up the cup and potion bottle, and pulled Virgil over to the counter.

"What are you-"

"I'll pay you over here," Roman said, letting go of his hand. "Why the gloves, anyway?" He asked, rummaging through a backpack Virgil hadn't noticed he had on him.

"You know how most witches use a wand? I prefer the gloves," Virgil explained briefly. "They're just easier to use and bring around. And that way I can bring them anywhere without having to hide them." Roman nodded, pulling out a wallet and pencil.

"How much do I owe you?"

"Seventeen fifty," Virgil said. Roman handed him a twenty-dollar bill with a smile, then went back to rummaging through his bag.

"Keep the change." Roman pulled out a notepad and scribbled something quickly on one page before ripping it out, folding it up and handing it to Virgil. "Most may call me Roman, but you can call me anytime," he smirked. Virgil took the paper and read over it quickly. Roman had written a quick note and left his phone number below. Virgil looked up to say something, but Roman was back at the table, grabbing Mal and getting ready to go.

"Bye, Virgil!" Mal called as they walked toward the door.

"Bye! Oh, and Roman, look at your cup!" Roman glanced down, confused, and looked at Virgil's quickly scrawled writing. Instead of saying _Roman,_ the cup read _Ramen_. He made an offended face before being pulled out the door behind Mal. Virgil watched them leave, a smile lingering on his face.

"You like him," Remy said, appearing behind Virgil. He jumped, startled.

"What? No, I don't. I just met him," Virgil argued.

"You think he's hot, then."

"I don't _think_ he's hot, he _is_ hot," Virgil muttered, rolling his eyes. Remy smirked, shaking his head slightly. "Keep that up and I won't give you any free coffee for the rest of the month," he threatened, glaring at his friend, before walking back around the counter.


	5. V

Roman opened the door to his house, his now empty coffee cup still in his hand. Logan was still at work, meaning he had the house to himself. He took off his shoes and walked into the kitchen, placing the empty cup on the counter and walking over to the cupboard. Rummaging through the boxes of food, Roman made a mental note to buy more snacks. Seeing as he was alone and had finished his homework at Mal's house before heading home, he decided to make dinner, since when Logan got home he'd be far too tired to do it himself.

Roman had decided on a recipe and was getting out the ingredients he needed when his phone beeped.

**UNKNOWN NUMBER: hey, it's Virgil from the coffee shop**

Roman smiled at his phone, quickly adding Virgil to his contacts before texting him back.

**ROMAN: Hey! I was hoping you'd text :)**

******VIRGIL: Why'd you give me your number, anyway? We barely know each other.**

****That was a good question. Roman knew why, but he wasn't sure if he wanted to tell Virgil just yet. After a moment's consideration, he decided to just be honest.

**ROMAN: Honestly, it's because you're cute and I want to get to know you better**

******VIRGIL: Well then.**

******VIRGIL: Meet me at the coffee shop tomorrow? Same time?**

******ROMAN: Of course ;) See you then!**

****Roman smiled to himself and continued making dinner. He was still smiling when Logan got home.

"Hello, Roman. I take it you had a good day?" Logan assumed, entering the room still carrying his work bag.

"Yeah, I did!" Roman replied, surprising himself with his overly peppy tone. "What about you?"

"My day was average but quite tiring, thank you for asking," Logan said, sitting in one of the chairs along the counter. "And thank you for getting dinner started."

"Started? Uh, excuse me, It's almost finished!" Roman smiled, leaning against the wall as he waited for the oven timer to beep. "How's the virus plans going?"

"They're moving along smoothly. We're starting test simulations tomorrow. If all goes well, we'll infect an earthen being," Logan explained, loosening his tie a little. Roman had noticed he only loosened his ties when he was feeling comfortable, which made him happy. He and Logan didn't always get along all that well, but the more they opened up to each other the closer they got. The oven beeped and Roman rushed over to take the food out. Logan grabbed some cutlery and went to set the table. Roman put the food he'd made on some plates and Logan got them drinks. They sat down at the table and enjoyed the meal together.

"What's got you smiling so much, Roman? You haven't stopped since before I got here," Logan asked.

"I haven't? I didn't notice," Roman said.

"Did everything go well with the witch selling you that potion?"

"Yeah, it did. And. . . I think I'm going on a date," Roman confessed, beaming brightly. Logan smiled back at him.

"Congratulations, Roman," he said sincerely. "When is it?"

"Tomorrow. I told him he's cute and he said we should meet up. We're going back to the same coffee shop," he explained. "Speaking of which, how's your love life?"

"Uneventful," Logan said dryly. "I haven't met anyone as of late who I would be open to pursuing a deeper relationship with."

"That sucks," Roman said.

"It might, but it gives me more time to focus on other things, like work and home life."

The two finished their meal together and Roman offered to wash dishes. Logan agreed gratefully, wanting to use his free time to read a book he'd been holding onto for a while.

"I'll be leaving early for work tomorrow," Logan mentioned before leaving the room. "So in case I don't see you before then, I hope you have a good time on your maybe-date."

"Thanks, Lo," Roman grinned happily. "I appreciate it."

___

"Virgil?" Patton asked, knocking on his door while pushing it open gently.

"Hey, Pat," Virgil smiled, shifting to sit upright on his bed. "How was work?"

"It was good! Everything went well," Patton smiled. "How was it with the mystery fey?"

"Good, it was good," Virgil said, his voice trailing off. "I think we might be going on a date tomorrow."

"You're going on a date with someone you just met?" Patton couldn't keep the surprise from his voice. "That's unlike you."

"I know," Virgil agreed. "I don't know what came over me, but he gave me his number and I asked him to meet me at the coffee shop tomorrow."

"Virge, that's great!"

"Yeah, it is!" The two smiled at each other for a moment. "Oh, I made some pasta for dinner. I already ate, but I'll sit with you so you're not alone."

"Thanks, Virge," Patton smiled. 


	6. VI

Patton walked past Virgil's door. It was around five-thirty, earlier than they usually got up, but Patton wanted to check before he left. He leaned against the door but couldn't hear anything, meaning that Virgil was most likely asleep. Smiling to himself, Patton walked downstairs. He had an early morning appointment with a client he was meeting for the first time and wanted to make sure he was at his office early so he could set up.

Patton pulled out his wand, which was still disguised as a pen from yesterday. Waving it gently, he turned it back to its usual form and summoned something to eat for breakfast. He grabbed a real pen from the table, summoned a piece of paper and wrote a quick note to Virgil.

_Hey Virge!_

_I had to leave early, but I went grocery shopping yesterday so the fridge is full of food. I'll probably be home at around the same time as you as long as your date doesn't run on for too long._

_Have a good day, kiddo! I love ya :)_

Patton read over the note quickly and smiled to himself. Hopefully Virgil wouldn't be too lonely, eating by himself again. He walked back upstairs, a muffin in his hand, and into his room. With a wave of his wand, he opened his closet and a bunch of cupboards and started to get things in order. He laid out his clothes on the bed and got everything he'd need for work out. At the same time, he cleaned up his room, as he'd left it rather messy the day before. He changed into his work clothes: a light blue collared shirt and beige dress pants. He used to wear a tie to work, too, but found it too formal and restricting.

Patton grabbed his things as they flew across the room to him and took one last look around. Everything seemed to be in order. He clicked his heels together the way Dorothy did in _The Wizard of Oz_ and teleported to work.

Patton appeared in an alley a block away from his workplace. Even though it was relatively early, the streets were already busy. He left the alleyway and walked toward the crosswalk, pressing the button to make the lights change. He could have used magic to change the lights, but since he had a wand instead of gloves like Virgil's it would be much easier to get caught. The lights changed and Patton crossed the street. He was almost all the way across when a turning car came speeding toward him. He ran the rest of the way across the street, not wanting to risk being caught doing magic. The car pulled into a gas station, the first thing after the lights, and the driver came running over.

"I'm so sorry!" They apologized. "I wasn't paying attention to the lights and nearly hit you."

"It's okay," Patton said, trying to smile.

"No, it's not. You could have been seriously injured. Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm in one piece." Patton looked up at the driver who'd nearly hit him. They were taller than he was, with slicked-back black hair and glasses. Their dark blue eyes were lined with worry and their tie was being blown sideways by the wind.

"How about I buy you a drink later, to make up for nearly hitting you?" They offered. "We can go to a coffee shop or something. Have you heard of Sprinkles of Joy?"

Patton's eyes narrowed suspiciously. Only magical beings could see the coffee shop where Virgil worked. He'd never met this being before, so how did they know that he was a witch? He adjusted his glasses, pressing a tiny button on the side that activated a magic-sensing feature he'd added. It took a lot of spells to get the sensor right, but it was worth having. Taking a closer glance, he realized that the person across from him was fey and they had the same type of magic-sensing glasses as he did.

"You know what? Sure. I don't have a car, though, so you'll have to pick me up," Patton agreed after a moment's hesitation. The fey smiled gratefully, taking out his phone.

"I'll give you my phone number. Text me a time and somewhere to pick you up, and I'll be there."

"Alright." He handed the other his phone and watched as they typed their information into it. "What's your name, anyway? And, uh, pronouns?"

"Logan. He and him pronouns. And you?"

"Patton. Also he, him. Nice to meet you!"

"Nice meeting you, too, Patton. And sorry for nearly killing you!"

Logan ran off toward his car, leaving Patton waving goodbye after him. He stood there for a moment, watching Logan drive away, before realizing that he had to be at work in five minutes. Running off, Patton couldn't help but imagine how his meet up with Logan might go.


	7. VII

Roman walked back to the coffee shop where he'd met Virgil alone. He'd convinced Mal not to come along, though to be fair, they didn't need much convincing. They wanted to give Virgil and Roman some 'alone time', as they'd so eloquently put it.

Roman walked into the shop, smiling slightly at the light jingling sound from the bells attached to the door. He looked over at the counter, but Virgil wasn't there. He glanced down at his phone, checking to make sure he got the time right.

"Hey! Roman!" He heard a familiar voice call. Looking up, Roman saw Virgil standing up by a booth in the back corner. Smiling, he walked over to join him. Roman sat down opposite Virgil, a slight blush covering his cheeks. He hoped Virgil didn't notice.

"So, you're not working today, then?" He assumed.

"I had a free period at school, so I got an earlier shift," Virgil explained. "I'm uh, glad you came. I was worried that you wouldn't."

"Dude, I gave you my number. If I didn't want to see you, I wouldn't have done that," Roman joked, smiling brightly. Virgil laughed awkwardly, his face reddening.

"Do you want a drink? I might be able to get it free for you," he offered.

"Sure," Roman agreed. The two walked up to the counter. "Any other drink suggestions? That angel mocha yesterday was great, but I want to try something else."

Virgil's eyes sparkled with an idea. "I'm going to order something secret for you. If you hate it, then. . . I don't know, what do you want if you hate it?"

Roman thought for a moment. "If I hate it, then I get to order something for you next time. If there is a next time, I mean." Virgil nodded, smiling.

"You go sit down, then. I'll bring the drink over in a few minutes." Roman walked back over to the booth and sat down, pulling out his phone. A text from Logan had come up on the screen.

**LOGAN: How is your date going?**

Roman smiled, happy that Logan had thought to text.

**ROMAN: Pretty good, actually! It's a little awkward, but I guess that's expected**

**LOGAN: Sounds great!**

**LOGAN: By the way, I may be home late.**

**ROMAN: Is everything ok?**

**LOGAN: I nearly ran someone over this morning and offered to take him out for coffee to make up for it.**

**ROMAN: . . . I dunno how to respond to that :/**

**LOGAN: Just don't make a mess of the house, alright?**

**ROMAN: Gotcha 👉👉**

**ROMAN: Gotta go. Emo's coming back**

**LOGAN: You call him emo?**

**ROMAN: If you saw him, you would too.**

Roman put his phone away as Virgil walked back to the table carrying a recyclable cup. He handed it to Roman, who looked for his name.

"Seriously? You made them write ramen again?" Virgil snickered under his breath.

"Sorry, not sorry. Just try the damn drink, then you can get mad at me, Ramen." Roman took a sip from the drink, still grumbling under his breath. His eyes widened as he tasted the warm liquid.

"What's this one called?" He asked, in awe of the breathtaking taste.

"Lavender crystal tea."

"Jeez, you weren't kidding about the names," Roman laughed, taking another sip. "You didn't get yourself anything?"

"I've already got something I made myself," Virgil said. He reached to the spot beside him, where a bag lay strewn against the booth seat. He pulled out a thermos and took a sip. "Black coffee. Complete with an anti-anxiety powder. Unfortunately, it doesn't entirely do the job, but it keeps me from having panic attacks in public." Roman nodded in understanding, enjoying another sip of his beverage.

"So, Virgil," he said, placing the half-empty cup down on the table between them. "Do you have any plans for the rest of your life?"

"Wow, you're really starting with the hard questions," Virgil smiled, placing his drink on the table too. "I haven't put too much thought into it. After school ends, I'll probably stick around here, at least for a while. I wouldn't want to leave Patton alone in the city."

"Patton?" Roman asked, confused.

"My roommate and best friend. He's already out of school, and he said I could move in with him when my mom kicked me out."

"Your mom kicked you out?" Roman said, astounded.

"For being gay. Can't say I didn't see it coming." Virgil laughed awkwardly. "That got deep quick. Going back to the question, I'd probably start some sort of potion business. That's all that I'm good at, honestly. What about you?"

"It's kind of stupid, and I know it'll never actually happen, but I want to be an author," Roman admitted shyly, rubbing the back of his neck and looking at the table.

"That's not stupid," Virgil said honestly, his voice taking on a tone Roman hadn't yet heard from him. "If you're okay with it, I'd like to read something you've written one day."

"Maybe one day," Roman agreed halfheartedly, taking a long sip of his drink.

"Okay, changing the topic. . . favourite book?" Virgil asked, leaning his elbows on the table.

"You're making me choose?" Roman exclaimed, offended. "I can't possibly choose between my darling babies!"

"Alright then, top three," Virgil laughed.

"Fine," Roman huffed indignantly. He took a moment to think, staring out the window as he did so. "In no particular order, Carry On by Rainbow Rowell, Supernova by Marissa Meyer and Dear Evan Hansen by, like, four different people."

"I should've realized that you're a theatre kid," Virgil mused, shaking his head. "But DEH is a good book. Do you have a favourite character?"

"Connor Murphy, definitely," Roman answered immediately. "What about you? What's your favourite book?"

"Hmm. . . Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo."

"I think I've heard of that one. Is it good?"

"I literally just said it's my favourite book. Of course it's good," Virgil smirked. Roman rolled his eyes halfheartedly.

"I guess I'll have to read it sometime, then," he said.

"You should," Virgil agreed, leaning back and crossing his arms over his chest. He pulled out his phone from his pocket and checked the time. "It's nearly four. Do you want to stay a little longer?"

"Sure," Roman said, desperately thinking of ways to make this last longer. "And, uh, afterwards, would you want to come to my house for a bit?"

"Wow, you really don't wait," Virgil smirked. "This may be the caffeine speaking, but sure."

"Really?" Roman responded, excited. "That's great." He smiled brightly, causing Virgil to laugh.

"Are you all-sunshine all the time?" He asked. Roman nodded.

"I try to be, at least."

"That sounds exhausting."

Roman shrugged. "It can be, at times."

The two sat in awkward silence for a minute, both periodically sipping on their drinks.

"New question," Roman said suddenly, turning to meet Virgil's eye. "Opinions on Broadway?"

Virgil shrugged. "I don't hate it. I know a couple of musicals, and they're okay, but I'm not the biggest fan."

"Fair enough. And I'm sure you've already figured out that musicals are my entire life."

"Yeah, I have," Virgil laughed. "Opinions on Panic! At The Disco?"

"Oh my god, Brendon Urie needs to be the next Disney princess!" Roman exclaimed.

"Right!?" Virgil agreed. "His version of Into The Unknown is the most beautiful thing I've ever heard!"

"I cried, listening to it for the first time!"

"Favourite Panic! song, not counting Into The Unknown?" Virgil prompted, smiling brightly.

"I really love King of the Clouds and Death of a Bachelor," Roman said immediately. "What about you?"

"You can't go wrong with Lying, but Nine in the Afternoon is another one of my favourites."

"What's the full name of Lying, again?" Roman asked, his eyes glinting mischievously.

"Haha, no. We're in public. Someone's going to overhear and assume things, and I'd rather not deal with that."

"Fair enough."

Virgil checked the time again, taking a sip of his coffee while he was at it. "Why don't we head over to your house now?" He suggested, looking up at Roman.

"Sure," Roman agreed, getting up and offering Virgil a hand. Virgil smiled, taking Roman's hand in his own glove-clad one and standing up. He tried to pull away, but Roman held tight, smiling.

"I'll let go if you're really uncomfortable with it," he said quietly. Virgil smiled back, a small smile that only Roman could see, and kept holding on.


	8. VIII

Roman unlocked the door to his and Logan's shared house, growing more anxious by the second. He was worried he'd done something embarrassing, like leaving his dirty laundry lying around his room or forgetting to clean the washroom. Virgil seemed to notice and squeezed his hand slightly. They'd held hands for the entire twenty-or-so minute walk from Sprinkles of Joy to Roman's house, which Roman had seen as a huge win. Virgil didn't seem like the type of person to want to be caught holding hands with someone in public.

"So, uh," Roman started, throwing the door open. "This is my house." Virgil wandered in, gawking at everything.

"There's no way that's yours," Virgil smirked, pointing to a striped tie thrown across the stair railing. Roman silently cursed Logan, going to pick it up.

"What, you don't think I could rock a tie like this one?" He asked, tying it like a bandana across his forehead. Virgil laughed and pulled it off, tying it properly around Roman's neck.

"Well now that I see it on you, you definitely could, but I still don't think it's yours."

"You're right, it's not. It's my cousin Logan's," Roman explained. "Technically this is his house. I help him pay rent every month and he lets me live here with him. He's very big on ties, though he usually doesn't leave them hanging on the banisters." Roman undid the tie, throwing it back onto the railing, and led Virgil into the kitchen. "Do you want anything to eat or drink?"

"I'm good. I've still got my coffee," Virgil said, leaning against the counter as Roman looked through the fridge.

"You sure? 'Cause we've got. . . literally nothing left, I shouldn't have suggested coming here," Roman laughed to himself. Virgil smiled at Roman's back as he closed the fridge and turned around. "How 'bout I show you around, then?" He suggested.

"Sure," Virgil shrugged. "Lead the way."

Roman took Virgil's hand gently in his own and led him around the house. He showed him the living room, the family room, Logan's office, the dining room and the kitchen. He took him upstairs and showed him the bedrooms, the bathroom, and his own barely-used office, which was intended to be used for writing purposes but he preferred to write in his room. Virgil took great interest in the nearly barren office, flopping down in a wheeled chair and spinning around a few times.

"Why don't you use this room to write?" He asked, swinging his legs over one armrest and leaning back against the other.

"My room is just much more. . . comforting and familiar, I guess. It's more inspiring."

"Then why don't you change this room up? Repaint the walls, add some decorations, make it a bit more exciting?" Roman pondered the idea.

"Maybe one day. If I did, would you help me?" He asked.

"Sure. Just make sure you've got snacks by then," Virgil teased, kicking the desk to make his chair spin again. Roman grabbed the back of the chair, preventing it from spinning, and pulled Virgil out of the room.

"Wha- hey!" He complained, holding onto the back of the chair tightly out of fear of falling. Roman dragged the chair into his room, turning on the light and falling face-first onto his bed.

"It's more comfortable here," Roman explained, rolling onto his back so his voice wouldn't be as muffled. "I can't look at the plain white walls in the other room for too long without getting restless."

Roman watched Virgil look around the room curiously, wondering what he was thinking. He'd looked around his room many times, trying to figure out what needed to be changed. His bed was in the back left corner, a window right beside it. An identical window sat in the back right corner by his simple black desk where his laptop set. Various posters and drawings covered the red walls, not a single spot plain. A pansexual pride flag was stuck to the back of his door, displaying his unsilenceable pride and love. A variety of other things were strewn across the room, but his eyes skimmed over them, so he assumed Virgil's would too. Luckily, he hadn't been an idiot and had hidden any and all dirty clothing from view.

"So, what do you think?" He asked, feeling nervous for reasons he couldn't quite place.

"I think you're pretty cocky, bringing me to your room after our first date," Virgil smirked.

"So it was a date," Roman said, smiling.

"I mean- it was, right? I wasn't sure," Virgil asked awkwardly, half smiling.

"You just said it was, no take-backs!" Roman exclaimed with childish excitement.

"Well, I guess that settles it, then." Virgil leaned back a little farther in his chair, staring at the ceiling. Roman looked up too, curious to see what he was looking at, and remembered the glow-in-the-dark stars on his ceiling. He smiled at the ceiling, thinking to himself, when he heard a crash. Looking back down, he saw Virgil sitting in a heap on the floor, the chair on its side.

"Are you alright?" Roman asked, getting off his bed and helping Virgil back up.

"I no longer trust the chair," he groaned, flopping face-first onto Roman's bed and curling up by the edge. Roman smiled, sitting down cross-legged beside Virgil's head and stroking his hair gently.

"Aw, you poor baby," he crooned, unable to keep the laughter from his voice. "That must've hurt." He continued playing with Virgil's hair, getting a little startled when the small witch let out a soft purring noise.

"Did you just-"

"Shush."

The two sat in silence, Roman running his fingers through Virgil's purple locks and Virgil staying curled up in a ball. Virgil made the same purring noise and started to become smaller. . . and fluffier? Roman blinked, and a black cat was sitting in the spot where Virgil had just been, laying on his black and purple sweater.

"Virgil?" He asked, confused. The cat, which he assumed was Virgil, stretched itself out, getting up and sitting back down in Roman's lap. Roman looked at it for a moment, confused, before going back to petting it the same way he'd been playing with Virgil's hair.


	9. IX

**PATTON: Hey! It's me, Patton, the guy you nearly ran over this morning! I thought I'd take you up on that coffee offer :) Could you possibly pick me up at four-ish? I'll send you the location.**

**LOGAN: Hello Patton! I'll be there at four.**

**PATTON: Great, thanks! Looking forward to it :)**

Patton checked his phone for what must have been the millionth time in the past five minutes. His quick conversation with Logan from earlier remained open, the seen marking still there. It was three fifty-nine. Logan was cutting it close.

Patton had decided not to give Logan his work address. He seemed perfectly nice, but he might be a psychopath. Instead, he walked to the nearby library and told Logan to pick him up from there. He texted Virgil quickly, trying to distract himself.

**PATTON: Hey kiddo. I hope you're enjoying your date! I know I said I'd be home at around the same time as you, but long story short, I nearly got run over and now I'm going to get coffee with the guy who almost hit me. Anyways, have a good time and don't forget to eat something! Love ya :)**

Virgil didn't reply, which wasn't unusual, but still left Patton feeling a little down. He was probably just enjoying his time with the boy he'd met. Patton checked his phone yet again. Four o'clock. He pocketed his phone, looking around, and noticed a familiar car pulling up. Logan ran out of the car, looking considerably less panicked than he had that morning.

"Hello again, Patton. I trust I am not late?"

"You're right on time!" Patton chirped. Logan opened the passenger door to his car, holding it for Patton. He smiled, thanking the tall fey, and slid into the car. Logan closed the door and walked around to the other side, getting in the driver's seat. Checking to make sure that Patton's seatbelt was on, Logan drove off in the direction of the coffee shop. Patton's phone beeped, and he pulled it out of his pocket.

**VIRGIL: Don't get kidnapped. Have fun :)**

**PATTON: Hopefully I will! How's your date going?**

**VIRGIL: Kinda awkward, but pretty good. He trusted me to pick a drink for him. I told the guy at the counter to write ramen on it. He's gonna be pissed :D**

**PATTON: And. . . you're trying to get him pissed off?**

**VIRGIL: I think he can take a joke. If not, please bury me this weekend. Write some sort of dad joke on my gravestone.**

**PATTON: I definitely will!**

**PATTON: Write a dad joke, I mean. Not looking forward to burying you.**

**VIRGIL: Good to know :)**

**VIRGIL: Gotta go now. His drink is ready. See ya later, Pat.**

**PATTON: Bye kiddo!**

Patton looked back up, pocketing his phone once again, and realized that they were nearly at the coffee shop. He wondered if Virgil would still be there when they arrived. Logan pulled into a parking lot for a bookstore in the same lot and Patton noticed a familiar-looking witch walk out of Sprinkles of Joy hand in hand with another boy.

"Aww," he said quietly, smiling at the retreating figures. Logan looked at him, confused. "I just saw my roommate leaving. He was on a date here earlier," he explained.

"What a coincidence, so was my roommate," Logan mused, parking the car and getting out. He walked over to Patton's side and held open the door for him once again. They walked into the building side by side, a heavy silence between them. Patton smiled upon hearing the light jingling bells that always sounded when someone entered Sprinkles of Joy. Those bells made him think of Virgil, which made him happy.

"Do you know what you're getting?" Patton asked. Logan looked up at the shifting menu above the counter.

"I think I do. Do you?"

"Yep," Patton smiled, and the two stepped up to the counter together. "Can I please get an angel mocha, maybe with a tiny bit of confidence added in?" He asked the barista.

"Of course. Anything else?"

"I'll get a lemon starlight smoothie," Logan said. "And two croissants, please."

"Logan, you don't have to do that-"

"Nonsense. Would you prefer your croissant plain or chocolate?" Logan asked, brushing aside Patton's complaints.

"Um, chocolate, please," Logan repeated Patton's request to the barista and the two stepped out of the way, letting the next person order. Patton stood awkwardly by Logan's side, wanting to make conversation but not quite sure how to. Logan was rather intimidating. He seemed to be much more professional than Patton, and now that he was calmer than he'd been in the morning, he seemed a bit like an imposing brick wall. Tall and unbreachable.

The barista called Patton and Logan's names, and Patton watched as Logan grabbed their orders. He handed Patton his drink and a bag with his croissant, then stepped up to pay.

"You don't have to pay for me," Patton said, placing a gentle hand on his arm. Logan turned to face him, a hint of emotion displayed on his face at last.

"I thought the whole point of this was I would buy you coffee to apologize for nearly killing you," Logan said, smiling slightly. "If I didn't pay, I'd still owe you."

"Well. . . if it makes you feel better," Patton reluctantly agreed.

"Trust me, it does."

Patton and Logan sat down opposite each other at a table beside the window, looking out on the street. Patton sipped his drink, thinking that it tasted much better when Virgil made it. He could feel the magic starting to work, giving him a bit more confidence than he'd usually have.

"I know I apologized this morning," Logan said, snapping him out of his thoughts. "But I'm incredibly sorry for nearly hitting you with my car. I know it's no excuse, I was running late for work and my mind was elsewhere."

"It's fine. I'm alive, aren't I?" Patton joked. "But as long as we're here, I'd like to get to know you better."

"Really?" Logan asked, surprised. "Alright then. What would you like to know?" Patton thought for a moment, trying to make sure he wouldn't sound too much like a therapist.

"What's your favourite colour?" He asked finally. Logan looked to be caught off guard by the question.

"Navy blue," he answered simply.

"Any reasoning behind that?"

"While many people consider blue to be a colour invoking feelings of sadness, it also creates a sense of calm and represents knowledge. Navy blue is not as bright or eye-catching as other blues, but it feels familiar and safe in a way." Logan hesitated for a moment, his face turning a light red colour. "I'm sorry, that was a rather drawn-out answer."

"No no no, it's fine!" Patton reassured him. "It was kinda poetic if you ask me."

"I'm glad you think so," Logan said, flashing that almost-smile again. "And you? What is your favourite colour?"

"There's so many!" Patton gushed. "I like light blues, like the sky, because they remind me of the perfect pictures on postcards. And I like pinks and purples, the kinds you see in sunsets. Oh, and the orange colour of the sun reflecting off the ocean as it sets, that one's really nice too. And the shade of red that roses are is beautiful as well. And I know I already said sky blue, but ice blue is super pretty, too. Kinda scary, in a way, but it's a nice colour nonetheless. And- I'm talking too much, aren't I?"

"Not at all," Logan smiled. A real smile this time, not the half-smile he'd thrown out a couple of times before. "It's quite refreshing, hearing you talk about something as simple as colours with such passion. I'm almost always surrounded by such dull people, except when I'm at home, and it's nice to hear someone as energetic and emotional as you."

"Oh," Patton said, eyes wide and mildly confused. "Thanks, I think?" Logan laughed, a soft chuckle that only Patton could hear.

"It's a compliment. Or, it was intended to be one." The two sat in silence for a moment, Patton mildly embarrassed and red-faced and Logan searching for a way to continue the conversation.

"You said you're surrounded by dull people except for when you're at home," Patton pointed out. "Do you have a girlfriend that lives with you? Or a boyfriend, sorry, didn't mean to assume."

"No, I do not. But I do have a very loud cousin as a roommate. He can be a bit much at times, but I have not once regretted asking him to live with me." Patton nodded, admiring Logan's eyes as he did. They were deep blue through the lenses of his glasses and seemed to peer right through his skin to his heart. It was like Logan could see into his head, or maybe even his soul.

"Can I ask you a question?" Logan said out of the blue. Patton nodded simply. "Why did you agree to come? You don't seem like the type of person who would hold onto debts and resent me for nearly hitting you."

"You're right, I'm not," Patton agreed. He thought for a moment. Why had he accepted, anyways? He didn't think too much about the decision, he merely decided that it might be fun. "I guess. . . I wasn't planning on doing much this afternoon, and I was done with work early, and my roommate is out on a date so he'll be gone for a while. I thought it could be a good experience and that I might make a friend out of it." Logan nodded, processing the information.

"What a coincidence, my roommate is on a date today too," Logan noted.

"Oh, that's cool!"

"Back to the conversation at hand - what do you do?"

"You mean work-wise?" Logan nodded. "I'm a therapist. I mostly work with kids, though I do get the odd adult patient."

"And do you enjoy it?"

"Yeah, I do," Patton admitted without hesitation. "I love helping people, and it's interesting to hear their stories and help them work through their issues. Everyone I meet with is so different and unique, and so are their situations. It's really interesting and makes for great conversation, too. At least, the stuff I can talk about without breaching patient confidentiality." He paused, taking a sip of his drink. It was starting to cool. "What about you?"

"My job. . . is rather unique," Logan started slowly, thinking through his every word. "I work for a fey-run company. We're trying to save the planet. It's all very science-based, and I'm not allowed to say much about what we do." Patton nodded, curious to know more but hesitant about asking.

"That sounds really cool! What can you say about what you do?"

Logan thought for a moment. "There's a lot of experimenting involved. Trying different methods to save the Earth. We can't just magically solve the problems caused by global warming without confusing the humans and prompting suspicion, so we need to find more subtle ways to do so. I think that's about all I'm allowed to mention without losing my job," he chuckled. Patton smiled, giggling along with him.

"Do you like your job?" He asked Logan, stealing the question Logan had asked before.

"I do. It can be both tiring and frustrating at times, but I worked hard to get the job and wouldn't trade it for anything," Logan explained.

The two sat in silence for another minute. "Do you like animals?" Patton asked suddenly.

"Um, yes, I do," Logan responded simply. "Do you?"

"I love them!" Patton exclaimed, eyes lighting up. "All animals are so amazing and adorable!" Logan smiled at his passionate response.

"Do you have any favourites?" He asked.

"I don't like playing favourites, but I love cats," Patton smiled. "I'm kind of allergic, though, so I always keep some medicine on me in case I find a cat somewhere." Logan smiled back at Patton for a brief second. "What about you?"

"I quite like dolphins, actually. They're very intelligent and fascinating creatures."

"Dolphins, eh? I did not see that coming," Patton admitted. He searched for something else to say. He wanted to make Logan smile again if he could. Logan had such a nice smile, but since arriving at the shop, Patton had only seen said smile a few times.

"What would you have thought, then?"

"I don't know. . . owls, maybe? It's just that when I think of dolphins, I think of the more playful side, and I guess I just didn't. . ."

"See me as the type to like that?" Logan asked. Patton's eyes widened, afraid he'd offended the other, but Logan just laughed. "It's alright. I wouldn't have assumed something like that about me either." Patton laughed along with him, relaxing a little.

The two started to open up about themselves little by little, beginning to enjoy their time with each other. Logan bought Patton another drink when he'd finished his, despite his repeated protests, saying that Logan only owed him one coffee. Logan waved him off, not telling him that he'd bought the drink so Patton might consider staying a little longer. Though he didn't really act like it, Logan enjoyed being around Patton and wanted to see if Patton might consider being his friend.


	10. X

“Oh wow, it’s getting late,” Patton said as he checked his phone. “I should get going. My roommate is probably wondering where I am.”

“Mine likely is as well,” Logan agreed. He checked his phone, seeing a couple of messages from Roman. 

**ROMAN: How’s your not-date? Is the guy mad at you?**

**LOGAN: Not at all, surprisingly.**

**ROMAN: I’m at home with emo.**

**LOGAN: You brought him home after one date?**

**ROMAN: Nothing has happened. We’ve just been talking.**

**ROMAN: Hey - idea! Why don’t you bring the guy over for dinner, and emo can stay too?**

**LOGAN: You’re just asking because you want to spend more time with him.**

**ROMAN: . . . maybe. But pleeeeeease?**

**ROMAN: Pretty please??**

**ROMAN: With a cherry on top?**

**LOGAN: You’re intolerable. Fine. I’ll ask.**

**ROMAN: Thanks Lo! You’re the best :D**

Logan looked up from his phone to see Patton typing something, likely to his roommate. “Patton, my cousin has asked me to have you over for dinner. Would you be interested in coming?”

Patton glanced up, seeming to be somewhat lost in thought. “I’ll have to ask my roommate. I feel bad for already being gone for so long.” He typed something else on his phone, immediately getting a response.

“What a coincidence, he’s staying at someone else’s house for dinner too!” He turned to Logan, smiling brightly. “In that case, sure! I’d love to!” 

Logan smiled. “Excellent. Let’s get going, then.”

* * *

“You’re adorable when you’re like this,” Roman muttered under his breath, smiling as he scratched cat-Virgil. “Not to say that you’re not as adorable as a person. Wait, can you understand me when you’re like that?” The cat bobbed its head as though it were nodding. “Fuck.” 

Cat-Virgil got up and walked away from Roman, back toward the sweater left by the foot of the bed. “Wait, no!” Roman complained, reaching out toward Virgil. “Come back! You’re soft and fluffy!” The cat made a noise that sounded almost like laughter and shifted back into Virgil, only now he was sitting on his sweater instead of wearing it.

“So I’m adorable, am I?” Virgil smirked, his voice a little scratchy. Roman flushed bright red, searching for something to say. 

“Your hair,” he managed to stammer out, mentally cursing himself for not being able to think of anything he could say to redeem himself.

“My hair?”

“It’s messed up.” Virgil walked over to a mirror hanging on Roman’s wall, cringing at his reflection.

“That’s your fault,” he said, leaving it as it was. He coughed into his sleeve a couple of times, trying to clear his voice. “Could I get some water? Transforming always makes me thirsty.”

Roman smirked. “If you’re thirsty, I could always-”

“Not that kind of thirsty. I meant dehydrated, thirsty, you dirty-minded idiot.”

“Shame.” Roman walked out of the room and ran down the stairs, going to grab a glass of water. He ran back up the stairs, glass in hand, careful not to spill any of it. “You don’t need it in a bowl, do you?” He teased as he reentered the room. Virgil rolled his eyes, snatching the cup from his hand and taking a long drink. Roman grabbed his phone from off his desk and sent a couple of texts to Logan, asking if Virgil could stay over. Logan agreed reluctantly, saying he’d ask the person he was with if they wanted to come, too.

“Hey Virgil,” Roman started. “I know we literally just met and this is really sudden, but would you want to stay over for dinner?” Virgil breathed a sigh of relief, placing the now empty glass down on Roman’s desk. 

“I was so worried you were going to ask something else, like ‘ _will you marry me’_ or whatever.”

Roman laughed. “I don’t move _that_ fast.”

“I’ll ask my roommate. He might have plans for tonight,” Virgil said, pulling out his phone. He sent a couple of texts and got a few in return. “Turns out he’s going to someone’s house for dinner, too. Guess I’m staying, then.”

“Yay!” Roman exclaimed, hugging Virgil tightly. Virgil hissed, clawing at his arm like a cat. 

“Can’t breathe,” he said, his voice strained. “Let go.”

“Sorry,” Roman apologized, letting go. “Random question, but do you always act so much like a cat?”

“Yes. For obvious reasons.”

“Good to know.” He paused for a moment, giving Virgil a chance to go and sit on the same chair he’d fallen off of earlier. “What’s your roommate think about the shapeshifting thing?”

“Oh, he loves it,” Virgil said, stretching his arms over his head and pulling his legs up to his chest. The chair started to tilt back but he quickly leaned forward, keeping it from falling. “He’s a little allergic to cats, but I’m mostly hypoallergenic, seeing as I’m not biologically a cat.” Roman nodded, sitting on his bed as he had earlier. 

“Have you always been able to shapeshift?” Virgil nodded simply. 

“For as long as I can remember, I’ve been able to shift. My mom used to say when I was younger that I would shift to get out of doing things I didn’t like.” He smiled, staring up at the ceiling. Roman thought he could see tears in his eyes, but he blinked and they were gone. “Enough about me. What’s something interesting about you?”

Roman looked around his room, trying to think of something as interesting as shapeshifting. “I don’t know. I’m a pretty boring person.”

“You can do magic. You have wings in the colours of the pansexual pride flag. There’s got to be something,” Virgil pushed, catching Roman’s eye and raising an eyebrow.

“Um. . . I can time travel, actually,” Roman admitted. Virgil’s jaw dropped, leaving Roman feeling an odd sense of pride. 

“You can time travel and you say you’re boring!?”

“Well, I don’t really talk about it much-”

“You’re going to talk about it right now. Are you the type that can just hop through time as you please or do you need to cast spells?”

“I can just, as you put it, hop through time.”

“Favourite period of time you’ve visited?”

“Oh, that’s hard! I like the Victorian era, especially with all the vampires around. It sucks that most of them are in hiding now, they’re actually super cool when they’re not trying to kill you.”

“Have you ever gone to the wrong time period? Like, you were dressed for the nineties and you went into the future?”

“Oh yeah, all the time. I prepare myself so I don’t stand out too much and then I go to the complete wrong time and I stick out like a sore thumb.” Virgil laughed, attempting to lean back in the chair again, albeit more carefully than he had earlier. Roman smiled, thinking of all the time travel stories he could tell.

“Is it possible to bring others through time with you? Can you travel to a specific place from the time period? Have you ever gotten stuck? Does time pass in the present while you’re gone? Do you like visiting the future?”

“Woah, chill with the questions!” Roman laughed. “I think it’s possible to bring others back, but I haven’t tried in a long time. I can travel to a specific place, but it takes a lot of focus and energy. A couple of times I’ve gotten stuck in different periods, mostly in the past. Time does pass in the present, but it seems to pass more slowly. What's three days in the past might be an hour in the present. And I do like visiting the future, but I only visit the distant future, after I’m dead. I try not to mess with time too much, so the near future is a big no for me.”

“Wow,” Virgil said, sounding astonished. He ran a hand through his hair as he thought, messing it up further. “I would trade shapeshifting in an instant if it meant I could time travel.”

“Really? I mean, I love time travelling, but turning into a cat is pretty cool, too.”

“I guess.” Roman watched Virgil closely. He seemed to be struggling, fighting with himself over something. At first glance, Roman had figured out that he wasn’t the type to open up easily, so he thought himself lucky for having heard as much as he did. Still, he wanted to help Virgil, and though they’d only known each other a short while, he didn’t want to see him in pain. 

“Okay, changing the subject,” Roman said suddenly, knocking Virgil from his thoughts. “Would you rather date an eighteenth-century vampire or a fey from the future?”

“Vampire, no competition,” Virgil laughed. “Fey are great, don’t get me wrong, but there’s something weirdly appealing about undead bloodsuckers, especially the fancy old-timey ones.”

“I mean, I can’t argue with that logic,” Roman laughed along. 

“Would you rather know about magic but be completely human, or be a fey in a world of humans who would kill you if they knew you were different?”

“Wow, that got dark quick.” Roman pondered the question for a moment. “I think I’d take the risk of humans killing me. I can’t imagine a life without magic. What about you?”

“I’d be human. Life would be different, but I don’t want to be afraid all the time.”

“Makes sense. Would you rather live in a fantasy world but your favourite character is dead, or live in the real world and fictional characters are real, but your favourite character is trying to kill you?”

“Fantasy. I don’t like death threats,” Virgil answered immediately.

“You say that as if you have experience with them. . .”

“Trust me, you don’t want to ask about that,” he warned. “Your answer?”

“I’d live in a fantasy world, too. What’s the point in meeting the characters if you don’t get to experience their world?” Roman opened his mouth to say something else but heard a lock turning and the front door opening. “That must be my cousin. Come on, you’ve got to meet him!” Roman grabbed Virgil by the arm and dragged him downstairs, despite Virgil’s repeated protests that he could walk on his own. 

They made it to the front, where the person he assumed was Logan and someone else stood with their backs to the pair. Logan was taking the other person’s jacket, half-smiling at them. The two turned around, and Virgil’s jaw dropped.


	11. XI

"Patton?" Virgil asked, not sure if he could trust what he was seeing. Was his roommate really standing in Roman's house?

"Virgil?" Patton stared back at him, just as confused as he was. He glanced over to Roman, then back at Virgil, and a smile slowly spread across his face. He stepped toward Roman, extending a hand. "I'm Patton Hart, Virgil's roommate. You must be the person who asked him on a date!"

"Actually, Virgil asked me on a date," Roman corrected, shaking Patton's outstretched hand. "I gave him my number, but he set up the date."

"Roman. . ." Virgil growled, trying to hide his red face.

"I'm Roman King," Roman smiled brightly. "Logan, this is Virgil. . ."

"Storm. Virgil Storm, nice to meet you," Virgil said, his face slowly cooling. "You must be Roman's cousin."

"So he mentioned me for once!" Logan said, shaking Virgil's hand. "It's good to meet you, Virgil. Roman was, dare I say it, near ecstatic when I got home and found out he'd been asked on a date. He-"

"OKAY LOGAN, THAT'S ENOUGH!" Roman yelled over his cousin, pushing him away from Virgil, who laughed and smirked at him.

"Aw, come on, I wanna hear more about how you reacted! Was he smiling like an idiot? Blushing, even after a while had passed? Overthinking every little thing that could happen? Making plans for the future?" Logan laughed, getting a glare from Roman in return.

"Unfortunately, if I told you, Roman would most definitely hit me and I'm not in the mood to fight him off. However, Patton and I brought pizza! Roman, would you mind setting the table?"

"Not at all," Roman smiled, relieved by the change of topic. Logan picked up a couple of pizza boxes he'd rested on a ledge, out of Virgil's sight, and carried them into another room.

"I helped Logan choose the pizza, so there's something you'll like there," Patton said quietly, smiling comfortingly.

"Just pepperoni and cheese?"

"Yep."

Virgil smiled ever so slightly, the corners of his lips turning up the tiniest bit. "Thanks, Pat."

"Don't mention it, kiddo."

Patton and Virgil walked side by side into the room Logan had entered. Roman was still grabbing plates in the kitchen, but Logan had walked into a dining room that seemed to be used much more often than Patton and Virgil's. He'd placed the pizza boxes in the middle of the rectangular table and had headed back into the kitchen to help Roman with drinks.

"Patton, Virgil, what would you like? We've got a very limited selection," Logan called from the other room.

"I'll just have water, please," Patton called back.

"Same for me," Virgil added.

"You sure? I'm having what's left of the 7 Up," Roman said, grabbing a bottle from the fridge and closing it. "Logan, I bet you want water, too." Logan nodded, filling up three glasses of water. The two joined Patton and Virgil in the dining room; Logan somehow holding three cups without dropping them and Roman with a near-empty two-litre bottle of 7 Up and a stack of plates. They passed out cups and empty plates to everyone before opening the pizza boxes. The cheesy smell immediately spread across the room, making both Patton and Roman smile.

"Take whatever you'd like," Logan said, motioning to the boxes. Roman immediately grabbed three slices, each with different toppings, and slid into the seat at the head of the table. Virgil grabbed two slices of pepperoni and sat in the closest chair, which happened to be just to Roman's left. Logan sat across from him with a single slice of cheese pizza and Patton sat to his right with more cheesy bread on his plate than actual pizza.

"So, you met Patton by nearly running him over?" Roman said, smirking at Logan, who rolled his eyes.

"Yes, I did," he sighed. "And I offered to take him out for coffee to make up for that."

"And you _agreed_?" Roman asked, astonished.

"Yeah. He didn't _mean_ to almost kill me, so there's no hard feelings," Patton explained cheerfully. Roman stared at him, his jaw literally dropping.

"Are you serious? If someone nearly ran me over, I'd hate them for life! You must be some sort of angel or something."

"He is," Virgil chimed in. "He is almost incapable of being mean." Patton flushed slightly, smiling at Virgil.

"Aw, kiddo! You're too sweet."

"How did you and Roman meet, again?" Logan prompted, turning to Virgil. "I've heard it from Roman, but he tends to over-exaggerate and accentuate small details."

"I make and sell potions, sort of like a small business," Virgil started, putting his slice of pizza down on the plate. "Roman's friend reached out for me, asking if I'd be willing to make something for him. We met at the coffee shop where I work and he gave me his number before leaving. I asked him if he wanted to meet, and now here we are."

"You've got your own small-scale business?" Logan asked, intrigued. "If you'd ever like to grow and advance further, I have a couple of friends who might be able to help you out," Logan suggested.

"Lo, that's a great idea, but can we talk about something other than business at the table? You two can finish your conversation later," Roman interrupted, exasperated.

"Hey, I've got a question," Patton piped up. "How long were you two here alone for?" Roman and Virgil both blushed heavily and started speaking over each other frantically.

"It's not what you think-"

"Nothing happened-"

"We were just talking-"

"It was just a little while-"

"Relax, kiddos!" Patton laughed. "I was just curious."

"Yes, curious," Logan mused. "And now, so am I. What _did_ happen upstairs, anyway?"

"I was just showing Virgil around, and then we were talking in my room," Roman explained, his red face not helping his story.

"Uh-huh," Logan said, not entirely buying it. "And that's all?"

"Um, I shapeshifted into a cat," Virgil admitted quietly, staring at the table. Logan was kind of intimidating.

"I'm sorry, you _what_?"

"He's a shapeshifter!" Patton chimed in. "He turns into a black cat, but he usually only does it when he's comfortable around people."

"Yeah, thanks Patton, now please shush," Virgil replied, his face somehow reddening further. Roman looked between Patton and Virgil for a moment, confused, before turning to Logan.

" _I think he likes you,_ " Logan mouthed inaudibly. Roman smiled brightly, doing a tiny victory dance until Virgil looked back up.

"Anyways, moving on. Logan, you're fey too, right? Can you time travel like Roman can?"

"I can, but not with as much control or ease as Roman can. I'm the type that needs a lot of spells and preparation, whereas Roman can just, how do you put it. . ."

"Hop through time!" Patton offered, unintentionally using the same phrase Virgil had used earlier.

"Does _everyone_ call it that?" Roman groaned. "It makes it sound like I'm jumping through space or something." Virgil and Patton laughed.

"That is quite an amusing visual," Logan noted, smiling.

"My point is," Roman started, exasperated. "I'm not jumping through holes in time! It's not jumping! There is no hopping involved!"

"Who knew someone could have such strong opinions about hopping," Virgil laughed. He went to take another bite from his pizza and realized he'd finished it all. Roman noticed, too, and immediately moved to take his plate.

"You don't have to do that, just show me where to put it," Virgil said, gently knocking his hand away. Roman led Virgil into the kitchen.

"Just put it in the sink, there. Logan and I can wash them later."

"We could wash the dishes for you," Patton offered from the other room. "As a thank you for having us over."

"Yeah, that's a good idea," Virgil agreed."

"But you two are guests here!" Roman argued.

"I feel bad not helping out at all. Just let us do this one thing."

"There's no harm in it, Roman," Logan said. "And it gives us time to get something else set up in the meantime."

"Fine," Roman agreed reluctantly, walking back into the other room as Patton joined Virgil in the kitchen. 


	12. XII

Logan glanced into the kitchen, making sure that Patton and Virgil were too busy to overhear or see him and Roman.

"What're you planning?" Roman asked, leaning back against the table with his arms crossed over his chest.

"Well, Virgil seems to be the type to like things that aren't too extravagant, and Patton seems to be the type that likes anything that comes from the heart."

"You've picked up that much already?"

"Yes. Don't interrupt me. Now, I was thinking we could bake something and set up a little movie for us to watch with them."

"That sounds like a great idea, but one; we don't know how long they can stay for and two; they're using the kitchen."

"One; I asked Patton while driving over and they have nothing planned for today or tomorrow, meaning they can stay as long as they like and two; Roman, we have magic."

"What're you going to do, magic an oven into your bedroom?"

"No, dumbass. We'd do every step by hand until we get to the part where we'd put it in an oven and then we'd use a spell to bake it in the place of an oven."

"Where are we doing this and what're we making?"

"Follow me and come up with something. I can make plans, not treats."

Roman reluctantly followed Logan from the room, muttering angrily under his breath about how he was always the one who had to come up with more creative things.

"Cake?" He suggested as he followed Logan upstairs.

"No. We'd have too much leftover."

"Cookies?" They walked along the hallway toward Logan's room.

"Too basic."

"I'm doing my best here, what more do you want?" Roman leaned over the banister, not waiting for Logan's reply, and shouted something to Virgil. "Hey, Virge, chocolate or vanilla?"

"I'm always a bitch for chocolate," Virgil yelled back.

"Language!" Patton scolded. Roman bit back a laugh and chased after Logan.

"I've got it. Brownies."

"Not a bad idea. Have you ever made them before?"

"Once or twice. I'll need a recipe, and you're helping."

"Of course I am. This was my idea, after all. And I don't trust you to summon things in my room."

"We're doing this in your room? But it's crowded and we don't have the things we need and-"

"Roman. Magic."

"Right."

Logan stepped through his doorway, waving his arm as he entered the room. All of his belongings flew off to the side of the room, somehow becoming small enough to fit in the corner. A bunch of new things appeared: tables, ingredients, an oven, bowls and the like. What looked like some sort of website appeared in the air, just free-floating over a table. Logan smiled, apparently satisfied, and moved so Roman could properly enter the room. He immediately walked over to the webpage and started scrolling through the recipe, immediately looking for the reviews.

"This site is trash, Lo. I'm finding one myself." He tapped on the air in front of him, just like he would with a phone or tablet. Logan shifted his attention over to the ingredients and began looking through them, making sure he didn't forget anything obvious.

"I've got a better recipe," Roman said after a minute or so. "This one uses white chocolate chips, though."

"Can't you summon it yourself?"

"I'd rather not." Logan rolled his eyes and made a grabbing motion in the air. A packet of white chocolate chips appeared in his hand and he placed it down with the rest of the ingredients. "Now what?"

Roman's eyes gleamed with a passion not often seen by most people. "Now we bake."


	13. XIII

"I think it's safe to say the brownies turned out pretty great," Roman decided, admiring the still-warm brownies.

"I think so, too. You're a good baker, Roman. You could easily run a bakery of your own if you so desired."

"But the question remains: is that what I desire?" Roman mused theatrically, striking what was supposed to be a deep and thoughtful pose.

"What the _hell_ are you doing?"

"Being dramatic!"

"Stop." Logan summoned a tin to hold the brownies in and started to leave the room. "Now, to set up the movie. What do you think we could all agree on watching?"

"Why don't we let Patton and Virgil decide? I'll get the room set up and you get Netflix ready, but they can choose the movie," Roman suggested.

"Alright," Logan agreed, heading down the stairs. The two headed into the rarely used family room, on the opposite side of the dining room, and Logan set the brownies down on a table. Roman rolled up his sleeves and started summoning things, cringing a bit when they made a quiet pop sound as they appeared. Logan could summon things silently, but Roman couldn't and didn't like summoning in front of people because of it. Logan had never commented on it, which he appreciated, but others had in the past, leading him to avoid summoning as much as possible.

Satisfied with the number of pillows and blankets, Roman started to make a fort running along the couch. He left the corner empty for Logan, knowing that most of the time he didn't like excessive amounts of pillows, but covered the rest of the room in his creation. He stacked up a few pillows on the couch and draped a blanket over them, creating a small canopy he thought Patton might like. He threw a blanket across the floor and made a pillow wall along the edge. He made another wall within his pillow room to split it into two very unequal pieces. In the bigger area, he made something resembling a bed. In the other, he stacked some pillows and left a few blankets off to the side.

"I think we're all good here," he noted, standing up. Logan looked over from where he stood, readying Netflix. He studied the fort, not noticing when his blue and black wings popped up for the first time since that morning.

"Your wings are out," Roman said, trying to maneuver his way out of the fort. "You going to spell them away?"

"I'd rather not," Logan replied somewhat dryly. "I don't see the need to, anyways."

"Fair enough. Should we go get them now?"

"I think so."

Logan helped Roman over the last of the pillow walls, somehow managing to get him out of the fort without knocking anything over, and they walked into the other room. "You know you could've just flown over the pillows, right?" Logan pointed out as they headed to the kitchen.

"Didn't even realize," Roman laughed.

"The way you act, you'd think you were raised without magic," Logan smiled, knowing fully well that Roman's childhood had been quite an otherworldly experience, to say the least. The two walked into the doorway of the kitchen, pausing to watch Patton and Virgil work. Patton washed the dishes by hand, and when he was done with one it would fly over to Virgil, who'd magically dry it. He had his gloves on and was flying dishes across the kitchen, laughing at something Patton had said. Patton had his arms deep in the scorching water without dishwashing gloves, smiling like it was a pleasant temperature.

"Hello again!" Roman called out, startling the two and causing Virgil to nearly drop a dish.

"Hi! We're almost done here, just give us a minute," Patton said, washing faster. Within two minutes, the pair were finished and the sink was drained. The two started to walk over to join the cousins, but both of them froze when they properly looked at Logan.

"Your wings," Virgil started, staring at them, wide-eyed.

"They're so pretty!" Patton exclaimed, racing over. "Are they naturally such a pretty shade of blue? Why do you hide them so much when they look so nice? Are they always this shiny? Is that why you said that blue's your favourite colour?"

Virgil walked over a bit more slowly, admiring Logan's wings from farther back than Patton had. They looked similar to butterfly wings, with black around the outside and varying shades of dark blue in more of the center. As Patton had said before, they were quite shiny, almost glowing a little.

Logan pulled his wings back almost bashfully, trying desperately to change the subject. "We've finished planning out something for all of us, if you two still intend to stay," Logan explained. Luckily, the two had literally no attention span whatsoever and immediately forgot what they'd been talking about. Patton and Virgil exchanged a look and both nodded, turning back to the cousins.

"I think we're staying, then, if we're welcome," Patton said for the both of them.

"Of course you are!" Roman chimed in. "Now, follow us!"

"So demanding," Virgil muttered, rolling his eyes behind Roman's back.

"I can hear you!"

Everyone followed Roman out into the family room, where the fort and TV were set up. Patton gasped, his eyes lighting up with childish glee and immediately headed over to the blanket canopy. Virgil perched himself on the stack of pillows, throwing a blanket over his head like a hood and holding it close around his shoulders. Logan sat by the edge of the couch, taking a single small pillow for himself and folding his wings behind him. Roman smiled, glad he'd correctly guessed what everyone would want, and laid across his fluffy pillow bed, his head resting just beside Virgil's pillow pile. He stretched his wings out, trying to relax a little.

"We made a treat for all of us," Logan said, flying the tin of brownies over. He summoned some plates and had the brownies cut themselves and fly over to each person.

"Thanks, Logan and Roman!" Patton said happily, summoning himself a fork.

"Yeah, thanks, guys," Virgil smiled, catching the plate as it flew over and eating the brownie with his hands. Roman smiled up at him, rolling onto his stomach so he could stare up at the emo's face.

"It's no biggie," Roman smiled back. "Now, what movie should we watch?"

"Ooh, how about _Onward_? It's a new Pixar film!" Patton suggested excitedly.

"Sounds cool, I'm down," Virgil agreed, leaning back against the couch.

"Anything Disney is fine with me," Roman added, rolling back onto his side to face the screen.

" _Onward_ it is, then," Logan said, taking the remote and turning the movie on. He set down the remote and quickly summoned a bowl of popcorn for each of them. "The popcorn is whatever flavour you want it to be. Make sure you're thinking of a flavour when you go to eat it, or you might get carrot-flavoured popcorn."

"Thanks, Lo," Roman said as the movie started to play.

"Yeah, thanks," Virgil and Patton said simultaneously, each with a different degree of enthusiasm but the same amount of sincerity.

The first scene of the movie started to play. Roman watched for a minute before his attention shifted to the emo on his left. Virgil was leaning back against the couch, sitting cross-legged on his stack of pillows. His purple hair was still a little messy from when Roman had played with it earlier. He looked so peaceful, so different from how he had earlier. Roman smiled to himself, moving a little bit closer. He tried to refocus on the movie, but his thoughts kept wandering back to Virgil.

Oh well. No use fighting it. He could rewatch the movie on his own some other time. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So it's 11 p.m. on May 31st where I live and I had a possibly genius (and not at all original) idea 15-ish minutes ago. I'm thinking of doing a series of one-shots for pride month, combining a pride calendar with one of those 30-day writing prompt things. If I wrote something like that, in full honesty, would you be interested?
> 
> Happy (early) pride to everyone celebrating! Stay safe and remember: you are loved and valid.
> 
> Also - thank you for 1000+ hits and 100+ kudos, y'all are amazing!


	14. XIV

"That. . . was beautiful," Patton said, his eyes welling up with tears.

"Why am I crying?" Roman asked, teardrops streaming down his face.

"I must admit, that was a good movie," Logan said, smiling sadly at the credits.

"That was so touching. It was like _Frozen_ , but a thousand times better," Virgil said, his hood hiding his face. Patton assumed that he was crying too and smiled, knowing Virgil couldn't see it. 

"Honestly, I've got to agree," Roman smiled, his voice cracking with emotion. "Pixar's outdone themselves."

"Can I just point out that I called part of the ending?" Patton piped up, wiping his eyes. "Halfway through, I called it!"

"Yes, Patton, you did," Logan acknowledged, pushing his glasses up and grabbing the remote. He turned off the TV and stood up with a sigh. "It must be well past ten by now."

"We should be going, then," Virgil said, standing up and pulling his hood off. Roman made a sad noise, rolling onto his back and staring up at Virgil.

"You guys will have to come over again some other time, then!" He decided, pushing himself to his feet and nearly falling over from exhaustion. Virgil giggled, hiding his laughter behind his hand. Patton yawned, stretching, and got up too.

"It's too dark to walk. We'll have to teleport," Patton said, grabbing Virgil's arm gently and pulling him from the room. "You didn't leave anything upstairs, did you?"

"I'll go check," Virgil said, running up the stairs. Roman followed him and Logan joined Patton by the bottom of the stairs.

"Thank you for having us over," Patton smiled, looking up at Logan.

"It was no trouble. It was very nice, having company over. I hope you two will come again sometime."

"Maybe next time we'll have you guys over to our house," Patton suggested. "Thanks for making brownies, too. You didn't have to do that."

"Well you didn't have to do our dishes," Logan countered, smiling.

"-you'd actually be interested?" Roman's voice echoed down the stairs. "Well, then, it's a date. Text me and we'll figure out the details." He and Virgil appeared at the top of the stairs, both of them smiling brightly and blushing slightly. Patton and Logan exchanged a knowing look.

"Thanks for coming over," Roman said, giving Patton a hug and Virgil a quick peck on the cheek. Virgil's face went bright red, making Patton giggle quietly.

"Thanks for having us over!" Patton said for the second time, giving Logan a small hug.

"Yeah, thanks for everything," Virgil added. "See ya sometime." Patton grasped his hand, smiling, and clicked his heels together. The world spun before their eyes, and they were standing in their front foyer.

"That was fun," Patton said, pulling his wand from his pocket and spelling the lights on.

"Yeah, it was," Virgil agreed.

"So, you and Roman. . ?"

"Nothing's happened yet!" Virgil exclaimed defensively. "But, uh, we're meeting up again sometime to do. . . something else."

"Something else, eh?"

"Something else. We don't have the details planned yet. I'm going to go get ready to sleep," Virgil said, avoiding the question. Patton knew fully well he wouldn't actually go to sleep until well after one or two in the morning, but he smiled, said goodnight, and headed for his room.

Falling backwards on his bed, Patton loosened his hold on his empathic abilities. He'd grown up always knowing what everyone was feeling, which was overwhelming, to say the least. Over time he'd found out that he could amplify and influence emotions as well, a skill he preferred not to use unless necessary. When he was young, he'd walk into a room and his senses would go absolutely haywire. He couldn't go anywhere without feeling and sometimes even _seeing_ emotions.

Seeing emotions had always been a weird experience for Patton. It only happened when he was feeling too many people's emotions at once or when he didn't have enough of a grip on his own feelings. His vision would become tinted with different colours and his head would start to ache. If someone was sad, he'd see a light blue and would feel a weak headache. If they were frustrated, he'd see orange and the pain would worsen. If someone were angry, his vision would turn red and his head would feel like it was splitting in two.

Over time, Patton decided he didn't want to feel people's emotions anymore. It caused him too much pain, so he taught himself to repress his abilities. It was difficult and exhausting and if he did it for too long he might pass out, but it was worth it. He could go out in public without getting headaches constantly. He could see without his vision being tinted in different colours. He didn't feel like he was looking into people's heads all the time. It was worth it, he'd tell himself.

Today had been exhausting. Although repressing his empathic abilities was second nature by now, he'd started doing it much earlier than usual and felt like he would pass out any moment now. Even though he'd used his abilities briefly at work, he'd been keeping them locked up for far too long. The second he'd released his grip on his power, his head spun and everything became blurry. Flashes of different colours flew past his eyes even after he'd closed them. He'd known something like this would happen, which is why he'd collapsed on his bed first.

Taking a shaky breath, Patton opened his eyes and got to his feet. He walked slowly to the bathroom, a hand on the wall helping him keep his balance. He splashed some water on his face and drank some, too. The blurry vision faded, as did the pain. The world became still again, but his vision was still tinted pink. That hadn't happened in a while. Patton knew _he_ wasn't feeling infatuated at the moment. Most of the time the world went pink was when Patton was working with teenagers. They'd sometimes bring up a crush or significant other while going through therapy, and the world would turn pink. But it had been too long for those teens' emotions to still be affecting Patton, and if the feeling didn't belong to him, then. . .

Virgil.

It had to be Virgil's.

Patton squealed into his hands despite the throbbing head, trying to muffle the sound as best as he could. For as long as he'd known Virgil, his friend had never liked anyone romantically. Sure, he'd had little crushes here and there, but they never lasted more than a week or so. Virgil didn't get attached easily, so knowing that he'd fallen so hard after only one date made Patton both excited and worried for his sake. On one hand, Patton wanted to support Virgil and help him out with Roman. On the other, he'd barely met Roman and was already feeling such intense emotions toward him. What if Roman wasn't as he seemed? Sure, he acted nice, but Patton didn't want to risk his friend's safety.

Walking back into his room, Patton watched as the pink slowly faded from his vision. It did that on its own sometimes, just fading out without him having to actively subdue it. It could be Virgil's emotions slowly dulling, but Patton kind of doubted it. The way he'd acted around Roman was unlike anything Patton had seen from him before.

Patton collapsed on his bed again, staring up at the ceiling. By now the headache and dizziness had completely faded, but the thought remained, as it always did: _am I invading their privacy?_

Virgil knew Patton was an empath. He'd known since childhood. But he didn't know the full extent of it. He knew it had to do with Patton's constant headaches and that it meant he could feel emotions, but Patton hadn't explained the extent of the painful side effects. Virgil had enough to worry about, he didn't need to bear this burden too. That wasn't what Patton was worried about at the moment, though. Would Virgil hate him for reading his emotions? For finding out about his feelings for Roman? Would he hate that Patton didn't bother to speak to him to find out?

"Pat?" Virgil's voice called through the door as he knocked softly. "Can I come in?"

"Yeah, sure," Patton called back quietly, sitting up. The door creaked open and Virgil stepped into the room.

"Hey," he smiled.

"Hey, kiddo," Patton replied, forcing the biggest smile he could muster.

"You doing alright?"

"Yeah. Just had a long day." Taking a deep breath, Patton tried to compose himself, forcing a happier facade up to hide how he was feeling. "What about you? How are you doing?"

"Surprisingly good, actually," Virgil admitted apprehensively.

"Oh?"

"Yeah. Today was a good day."

"I'm glad to hear it. Anything in particular that made it good?"

Virgil hesitated. Patton could feel his unease even without using his abilities. "Roman did, actually."

"Well, I can't say I'm surprised," Patton giggled. "You really like him, don't you?"

"Yeah, I think I do."

"That's good to hear! Just. . . be careful, alright? Roman seems like a great person, but we barely know him," Patton warned, concerned.

"I know. I'll stay safe," Virgil reassured him, resting a hand on his knee gently. "It'll be okay."

If only Patton could believe that. He'd been telling himself that it would be okay for over ten years.

"Alright," he said, forcing a smile. "Try to get some sleep tonight."

"You, too. Don't think I don't know about how you spent last night binging Avatar: The Last Airbender for the millionth time," Virgil teased, getting to his feet.

"That show is a masterpiece! I can't help it!"

Virgil laughed, smiling over his shoulder. "Get some sleep."

Patton smiled back. It felt phony but hopefully Virgil couldn't tell. "Only if you do."


	15. XV

Virgil sat in his room, enveloped by the darkness. He could turn on the lights. It wouldn’t wake Patton; their rooms were far enough apart. He just preferred the dark. Resting his hands beneath his head, he stared up at the ceiling and couldn’t help but think of Roman.

Roman’s room had been much more brightly coloured than Virgil’s. He’d had posters and drawings and a pride flag. There had been glow-in-the-dark stars on the ceiling and bright red walls. Virgil’s room looked dismal in comparison. The walls were a deep purple. The window was covered at the moment, blocking out any light from the street. There were no posters or drawings, just a bookshelf. The only interesting thing in the room was the old fashioned cauldron where Virgil made potions, and that was only appealing when it was glowing from the magic being poured into it. 

Everything was dark. And that was how he liked it.

Patton was right. Infatuation at first sight was unlike Virgil. He’d never liked anyone this way before, let alone been in a relationship, but he’d have assumed that he’d want to get to know someone better before going to their house. Hell, he’d been in Roman’s room. He’d shifted into a cat in front of him, goddamnit! He never shifted in front of people if he could avoid it, but just sitting there, Roman’s gentle touch as he played with his hair. . . he’d shifted right there and then, barely even realizing it. 

Had Roman cast some sort of spell on him? It was rare for fey to make potions but not _entirely_ unheard of. Some spells could cause infatuation for a limited time and some potions might cause prolonged lovesickness. That could be it. Patton was right, he barely knew Roman. These feelings could be implanted in his mind by someone else.

Virgil sighed. He was being paranoid again. There was little chance that Roman had cast a spell on him. Sure, it was possible, but it seemed incredibly unlikely. He got to his feet, thinking of distracting himself the only way he knew how. He hadn’t bothered changing yet, and even if he had, his gloves would still be on. Waving a hand, Virgil cast a soundproof barrier around the room. He didn’t want to risk waking Patton. Pulling his phone from his pocket, he connected it to a wireless speaker and started blasting My Chemical Romance. It was the best, most consistent and most effective way of distracting himself. He walked over to his shelf, already subconsciously moving to the beat of the music, and pulled a new-looking book off. Even though it was in the section he usually reserved for potion recipes, it was a paperback fantasy novel. Something he’d been wanting to read for a while now. Falling back onto his bed, Virgil flipped the book open and tried to focus on a quote on the inside cover.

_You were the sun, and I was crashing into you._

Oh hell, why did everything in his life have to be angsty?

Virgil sighed, flipping the page and trying to focus on the book. He made it through a few chapters before he gave up, throwing the book against the wall. He rolled onto his side, hearing the soft _thump_ of his book falling to the floor, and glared at his wall as if it were what was causing all his problems. 

_“VIRGIL!”_

Virgil sat bolt upright, staring wide-eyed at the door. She couldn’t be here. There was no way. He was imagining things. Waving his hand, he shut off his music. He held his breath and counted to five in his head, listening for any other sounds. He exhaled slowly and got to his feet, stepping over the book he’d thrown on his way to the door. It creaked open slowly, revealing the dark and empty hallway. He looked around. Everything was as it should be. The only thing out of the ordinary was the light shining under the door of Patton’s room. Still shaking slightly, Virgil tiptoed down the hall and knocked on his friend’s door.

“Virgil? That you?” Patton called, his voice sounding a little shaky. “Come on in.”

Virgil pushed the door open and was greeted by an unpleasantly bright light shining in his eyes. He hissed, recoiling and covering his eyes, and stepped into the room.

“What’s up?” Patton asked, getting to his feet. He stood in front of Virgil, looking at him with concern in his eyes. 

“It’s nothing, I just. . . it’s nothing.”

“You heard her again?” Patton assumed, gently pulling Virgil’s hand away from his eyes. Virgil nodded, staring at his feet rather than meeting Patton’s gaze. “Do you want to stay here for a bit?”

“Yeah, that would be nice,” Virgil mumbled, smiling as much as he could and flopping down in a purple bean bag chair Patton always left out for him. He hadn’t explicitly told Patton too much about his life, but they’d known each other for so long that Patton was able to draw some conclusions himself. Patton picked up his wand from off the table and waved it, drawing a circle in the air. Calming music started playing, filling the air with sweet and comforting sounds. 

“Was it anything specific this time?” Patton asked, sitting on the edge of his bed and looking down at Virgil. He shook his head.

“I just heard my name.” He scanned the room, searching for a way to change the subject. “Why are you still up?”

“Couldn’t sleep,” Patton shrugged, his eyes clouding over. He stared at the floor by Virgil’s feet, his expression unreadable. No doubt Patton could tell what Virgil was feeling at the moment. Virgil had often thought that if he could trade his shapeshifting abilities for Patton’s empathic ones, he would. He’d never been great at reading other people, so to speak, and wasn’t very good at being sensitive toward others.

“Alright,” Virgil mumbled, leaning back in the bean bag. “Are you working tomorrow?” Patton simply nodded. He often worked Saturdays, but always made sure to spend his Sundays with Virgil. 

“Not looking forward to it,” Patton said, looking somewhat dejected.

“I thought you liked your job.”

“I do, I’m just not looking forward to working _tomorrow_ , specifically.”

“Want to talk about it?” Virgil offered.

Patton sighed, faking what was meant to be a reassuring smile. “Things are just piling up a bit, but it’s alright. I don’t want to burden you at all. You’ve already got your own things to deal with.”

“That doesn’t mean I can’t listen.”

“I know, but. . . it’s okay.”

“If you say so,” Virgil murmured, not quite convinced. He closed his eyes, trying to focus on the soft music, and barely noticed himself falling asleep.


	16. XVI

It wasn’t necessarily odd for Logan to be up at the literal crack of dawn, but it wasn’t quite ordinary either. Especially on weekends, when he wasn’t going to work.

If anyone who happened to be passing by this early for whatever reason happened to look up, they’d see a blue-winged fey (who hadn't hidden his wings for once) sitting atop his roof, watching the sunrise. Luckily, no one looked up. No one ever looked up anymore. They looked down at their feet or their phones. They looked around at the street or their friends. But no one ever thought to look up. Up was where the true wonders of the world were.

The sky was still fairly dark, but the sun peeked over the horizon, staining the air a deep crimson. Unbeknownst to most, Logan had watched the sunrise every Saturday morning without fail since he was five or six. It was one of the few constants in his life; something he’d come to depend upon. When everything was changing and unpredictable, the sunrise was still there, same as always. It didn’t hurt that sunrises were a beautiful work of art, either. Logan had often thought that Roman would appreciate the early mornings if he could only wake up in time to see them.

Leaning back, Logan watched the sun inch higher into the sky, the beautiful reds and oranges spreading as it did. Sometimes if he got lucky, purples and pinks would join the colours too. Alas, today was a more ordinary day; merely red, orange, blue, and the sun's familiar yellow blessed his eyes this morning. 

Most of Logan’s best memories included either the sunrise or sunset. It just so happened to be that very few of them involved other people. Logan had never been much of a people person. Animals and nature were much better, which was why he strived to protect them. 

Work had been stressful lately. Logan had been waiting impatiently for his Saturday ritual of sitting on the roof and watching the sunrise. He’d wanted to head up much earlier in the week, but it would’ve thrown off his sleep schedule, something he couldn’t afford at the moment. Spending the evening with Roman, Patton and Virgil had been the most relaxing time he’d had in a week or two, which was surprising. He hadn’t expected a social outing - could he really call it an outing if most of it had been within his house? - to be the best time he’d had recently.

Virgil had been intriguing. He could see how the boy had caught Roman’s attention. He’d seemed quite anxious when Logan first met him, but he seemed to warm up quite a bit eventually. Logan hadn’t seen a shapeshifter in a while. They weren’t necessarily a rare species of witches, it was just that most of them didn’t parade around the fact that they could shift. Of course, Virgil hadn’t quite brandished his ability on his sleeve, but he’d come clean about it rather quickly. Perhaps it was out of fear, or maybe a desire to be perceived as an honest person.

Patton, however, had been a little easier to read. He seemed to be a generally honest and  _ good _ person. He’d said he was a therapist, something Logan wouldn’t have guessed right off the bat. He seemed to be somewhat of a child at heart, what with the way he spoke of things that interested or amused him. It didn’t annoy Logan at all, not the way it would’ve with most others. It was almost endearing. His smiles were figuratively infectious, making Logan want to grin alongside him. He’d been wary at first, when he realized Patton was a witch, but lowered his guard after realizing that Patton had no apparent ill intent. 

The sun had risen about halfway into the sky. The entire sky looked as though it had been lit on fire, which was oddly pleasant. Despite the crisp fall air, Logan felt quite warm and comfortable. He’d watched the sunrise in all sorts of weather conditions. He’d seen the barest glimpse of the sun as it poured rain. He’d seen it full-on from the roof of a hotel on a sunny morning. He’d seen it through snow and sleet and had nearly been blown off the roof on numerous occasions. He wouldn’t say that he was now immune to weather conditions, but their effects on him seemed to be dulled. 

A couple of clouds covered the higher reaches of the sky. They were tinted a reddish-purple, one that Logan had seen many times before. It was times like these when he wished he could paint, for he’d like to capture the moment in a unique way. He could take a picture, but it wouldn’t quite have the same effect. He’d always been a bit jealous of Roman’s creative capabilities, as Logan had always been more logical than artistic. If he could recreate the most beautiful sunsets he’d seen through words or art, he’d feel. . . well, he expected he'd feel rather pleased, to say the least.

The colours were fading. The sun had almost risen. Logan knew he should get up and head back to bed, but he felt he couldn't move from his spot until the sun had completely risen. It felt rude in a way, like leaving in the middle of a conversation. 

The sky finally turned its usual blue, signalling that it was now morning. The city started to wake up. Smiling contentedly, Logan got to his feet and flew off the roof into his backyard. He opened the back door and stepped back into the house.

“Lo?” A voice mumbled from the kitchen. “That you?”

“Roman? You’re awake?” He asked, closing the door behind him. 

“Couldn’t sleep. You?” Logan walked into the kitchen and saw Roman sitting on the counter, wrapped in a fuzzy red blanket with a cup in his hand. The pink tips of his wings peeked out the top of the blanket, catching Logan's eye.

“Went to see the sunrise.” Roman nodded, taking a sip of his drink. 

“You do that often?” He asked, his voice still heavy with sleep. Logan nodded.

“Every Saturday.” 

“Why?”

Logan hesitated. “I don’t know. I just do.” Roman nodded again. “Why are you on the counter?”

“Because I want to be.”

Logan stared at Roman. Roman stared back, raising an eyebrow. “Alright, then. . . I’m going back to sleep.”

“See you in a few hours,” Roman said, waving as he left. 


	17. XVII

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To all of you who've stuck around through my impromptu hiatus - thank you. I hope to have a semi-regular update schedule come September, but I'm not sure how things will go. Anyways, enjoy the chapter and sorry for the wait!

Patton woke up to the soft sound of Virgil’s breathing from the corner of his room, which he instantly felt bad about, because that was creepy. He looked over and saw Virgil curled up on the bean bag he’d fallen asleep on. Smiling slightly, Patton pushed aside his blankets and left the room, grabbing his wand on the way. He’d surprisingly been awake for much longer than Virgil had, unable to fall asleep. He didn’t bother to suppress his powers when just Virgil was in the room, as there weren’t enough emotions to make his head go haywire. He’d felt the shifts in his emotion as he slept, going from terrified and conflicted to almost at peace. Key word being almost. 

Patton walked into the kitchen and grabbed himself some cereal. He quickly cast a soundproofing spell on the room in an attempt to encourage Virgil to sleep for a little longer. Patton knew how messed up Virgil’s sleep schedule was, and he also knew that he wasn’t intentionally messing up his sleep schedule. It was just an unfortunate side effect of everything he had to go through. 

Patton ate quickly, wanting to get to work before the streets got busy. It was incredibly fortunate that Logan hadn’t hit him the other day, but if he happened to find himself in the same situation again there was a good chance he wouldn’t be so lucky. Better to just avoid the traffic altogether. 

Finishing his breakfast quickly, Patton slipped back into his room and grabbed his clothes, careful not to wake Virgil. He could use a bathroom other than his own for once if it meant Virgil got a bit more sleep. 

Patton got ready in no time and headed for the door, taking his soundproofing charms down as he went. He regretted not leaving Virgil a note like he usually would, but last night he’d told him where he’d be and could text him during the day. Patton stepped out the door, locking it behind him. He could swear the house made a sad noise like a dog being left behind as he walked away.

It was much easier to get to work today. There were fewer cars out, as it was a weekend and the city was sleeping in. Patton could even walk the entire way to work, not having to stop and duck behind some shrubbery to teleport as he usually did. It was refreshing. No one ever really appreciated the mornings, especially in cities like this one. Everyone was too busy getting to where they needed to be or sleeping in, taking the time to rest. Not that there was anything wrong with sleeping in late, of course. It was just that people didn’t stop to take in the morning the same way they did in the evening.

It took a mere half-hour to walk to work, which could have been an all-time record. The parking lot had very few cars; only a couple of other therapists and a secretary were here so early.

“Morning Mr. Hart,” the secretary greeted him as he stepped in. She was a young woman around Patton’s age named Kylie. She had a contagious smile and amicable attitude and was just generally nice to be around. 

“Good morning, Kylie. And haven’t I said to call me Patton? We’re all friends here,” he smiled back, stopping on his way into his office to grab a glass of water. They had a water jug and recyclable cups on a table in the corner, an addition that had been Kylie’s idea. 

"Sorry, Patton. Some of the others are so insistent on people being respectful, I just forget that you prefer a more casual relationship,” she apologized awkwardly. Patton found her extensive vocabulary endearing, today more than usual. The two got along very well, seeing as their personalities were quite similar. Some of the others in the office referred to the pair as the living embodiment of sunshine. 

“How was your Friday night? Happy to be here so early?”

“Can’t say I am,” Kylie laughed. “Yesterday evening was boring. Nothing out of the ordinary. What about you? You seem to be positively radiant.”

“I’m actually okay with waking up this early. And as for yesterday, remember the guy I mentioned? The one who nearly hit me?”

“Yeah. Did the getting-coffee-situation go well?”

“It did! Turns out his cousin was on a date with my best friend, and we all had dinner and a movie together.”

“Double date, then, eh?”

“No, no! We’re just friends,” Patton reassured her, though he felt his face heating up. “I mean, Lo and I are. Roman and Virgil, well, there’s definitely a spark.”

Kylie laughed. “Sorry, I don’t mean to assume or interfere in your private life, but you already call him Lo?”

“I mean- I didn’t mean to. It’s just that his cousin did, and now it’s what I think of him as, and-”

“It’s alright, Patton, you don’t need to justify yourself to me. And before I forget, Emile said he wouldn’t be stopping by today as he’d planned. Something came up.” Kylie leaned back against her chair, sighing, and Patton frowned. He’d been looking forward to seeing Emile. “Sorry to cut the conversation short, but your first client is coming by in fifteen minutes. You might want to get set up.”

“Oh, snickerdoodle!” Patton exclaimed, rushing from the room. “Thanks, Kylie! See ya later!”

“Did you really just say oh snickerdoodle?” He heard Kylie’s infectious laughter echo down the hallway, making him smile. He quickly made it to his office, a bright blue and yellow room covered in posters and positive messages. His smile grew, as it always did when he entered the room. This office was like a second home to him. It was always comforting to step into such a colourful place and be greeted with overwhelming positivity. The paint on the wall was a blue base with big yellow circles, some of which had been turned into smiley faces. In one circle, he chose to put some of the cards he’d gotten from previous clients. He’d only been working as a therapist for a year, but he’d already impacted an unexpected number of people. He got many thank-you cards, some from clients leaving therapy and some for holidays. 

Plopping down in his chair at the dull brown desk in the back corner of the room, Patton quickly organized his things. He pulled a file from the desk drawer, one with this particular client’s information. They hadn’t met in a month or so, but the client had been doing rather well when he last saw them. Patton skimmed over the pages for a quick refresher, not wanting to accidentally say or do anything wrong. He didn’t have too many clients at the moment, but he had enough that he got confused on occasion. 

Hard as he tried to focus, Patton kept finding his mind drifting off. The words on the page just seemed to swim in front of him, as though they’d been enchanted to be unreadable. At least his head wasn’t pounding and his ears weren’t ringing. In that case, he’d have had to take the morning off, which he couldn’t afford at the moment. Even though he was physically alright, he just couldn’t bring himself to pay attention to what he was reading. There were just more pertinent things, or rather, people, that he’d prefer to think about.

An alarm went off on his phone, shocking him out of his half-focused state. He quickly stopped the ringing and headed out of his room to greet the client. He found them perched awkwardly on the edge of a chair, shoulders hunched and hair mused. Their leg bounced rapidly, fingers tapping a frantic rhythm on the arm of their chair. They looked almost stuffed into clothes that didn’t seem to suit them which, quite frankly, they looked to be forced into. 

“Dr. Hart?” They asked almost desperately, looking up. 

“That’s my name, don’t wear it out!” Patton smiled brightly. “How ya doin, kiddo?”

“I’m great, can we go into your office?” They asked, the words tumbling from their mouth. Patton frowned, concerned about the strange behaviour, but relented.

“After you,” he said, waving an arm in front of him. The kid, whose file said he was around the same age as Virgil, hurried from the room and down the hallway. Patton followed, closing his door behind him for privacy.

“Sorry to rush out of there, it’s just _my mom_ ,” the kid groaned, collapsing onto a couch as the words spilled from their mouth like a waterfall. “She’s so overbearing, and she would’ve spent half an hour having a conversation with you if she were given the chance, and-”

“It’s alright, kiddo, I get it,” Patton smiled, sitting across from them.

“Thanks, Dr. Hart.”

“Please, call me Patton! I understand it’s been a while since we last met, but that doesn’t mean we have to go back to formalities unless you’d prefer that.”

“I don’t like being formal,” they admitted.

“Alright then. Just as a refresher, what would you prefer to be called? First name, last name, nickname. . .”

“Remus is fine.”

“Alrighty, Remus, let’s get started.”


	18. XVIII

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi. It's been a while. I've been writing and rewriting the next few chapters over and over. It's just not working. I might go on an actual hiatus. I'm not sure yet. Enjoy the chapter. Sorry it's short.

Roman was sad.

He had no inspiration. 

He’d been sitting on his bed for the past hour, writing and erasing one line over and over again. Nothing he wrote was  _ right _ . It was either out of character, or didn’t make sense, or was just plain stupid. Nothing was helping, either. Music was more distracting than usual. Writing a different story just wasn’t working. Trying to push through the block was only really making it worse.

There was one thing left that might work, though.

A  _ distraction. _

Placing his laptop down on the bed, Roman got to his feet and left the room, turning off the lights with a wave of his hand. He walked downstairs to Logan’s office, expecting him to be there. Unsurprisingly, he was.

“Can I help you, Roman?” He asked as Roman stepped through the door.

“Yep. You’re coming with me, and we’re doing something fun.”

“But I have work to do,” Logan protested as Roman pulled him from his chair and back out the door.

“And I have writing to do, but I can’t, so you’re going to help distract me.”

“How did Virgil stand you?” Logan muttered, rolling his eyes. Roman flushed slightly, but pretended to not be bothered. 

“I don’t know, you’ll have to ask him. Now, you can either suggest something you want to do, or we’re playing Just Dance.”

“We played Just Dance  _ last _ week.”

“Then suggest something! You’re running out of time!”

“Um. . .  _ Uno _ ,” Logan said. “Let’s play  _ Uno _ .”

“Okay!” Roman cheered, dragging Logan into the other room, the more professional cousin complaining all the while. 

Roman plopped down on the floor -  _ “Roman, there’s a table right there.”  _ \- and summoned a deck of  _ Uno _ cards. Logan sighed, resignedly sitting cross-legged across from him. Roman shuffled and dealt the cards before mentioning what was on his mind.

“Lo, have you ever just completely lost all inspiration?” He asked, putting down a red eight.

“In what sense?” Logan countered, placing a blue eight down.

“As in you had a good idea, but now you just can’t make it work.” Roman placed a blue skip a turn card down and Logan cursed.

“I believe I have. The only real way to get through it is to find your inspiration again.”

“But how do I do that?”

“You go searching.” Logan paused, placing down a green two. “Didn’t you  _ just _ buy an anti-writer’s block potion  _ yesterday _ ?”

“Yeah, but I’m saving it.”

“For what? You do realize potions like that one go bad, right?”

“They do?” Roman asked, eyes widening. “Oh god. I’ll use it later, then. I was saving it for a worse bout of writer’s block, but I guess this one’s bad enough.”

“You said you’d  _ completely lost all inspiration _ . That sounds pretty bad to me.” Logan put down a yellow three. “Uno.”

“Wha-” Roman looked back and forth between Logan’s hand and the pile of cards. “How do you  _ already  _ only have one?” Logan shrugged, smirking. Roman played a yellow nine, rolling his eyes. Logan proudly displayed his last card, a colour-changing one. 

“I win,” he beamed. Roman rolled his eyes again, but smiled too.

“Nerd. We’re playing again.”

“Why, so you can suffer another crushing defeat?”

“Shut it and play.”


	19. A/N

Hi.

I said this on my instagram account a couple days ago, and now it's your turn to hear it.

I don't plan on updating this story anymore.

I've kind of fallen out of the Sanders Sides fandom. Don't get me wrong, I still love the show, Thomas, and all the art and fics that go along with it. I just don't enjoy writing fanfiction for it anymore. I don't think I have enjoyed it for the past few months, actually.

I don't plan to stop writing altogether. I just don't enjoy writing Sanders Sides fics anymore.

Thanks for sticking with me for as long as you did. Sorry to let you down.

-Natalie


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